Oceanography The Official Magazine of
The Oceanography Society

Volume 36 | Number 4 | December 2023

Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Ocean Sciences

On the Cover: Silhouettes image credit: Rawpixel/iStock.com. Wave image credit: StudioM1/iStock.com.
Cover PDF
Volume 36 Issue 4
About

Welcome to the Oceanography special issue on Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Ocean Sciences. Scroll down this page to view the full set of articles or jump to the flipbook version of this special issue to page through the full issue.

Please also peruse the autobiographical sketches in the online supplement associated with this special issue. The supplement is also available as a flipbook in the Oceanography digital kiosk.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Introduction to the Special Issue on Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Ocean Sciences
By Ellen S. Kappel, Benjamin E. Cuker, Deidre Gibson, Corey Garza, Catalina Martinez, Wendy F. Todd, and Cassie Xu

Barriers to Entry, Persistence, Advancement, and Success

Ho‘okele ka Wa‘a: Recalibrating the Sail Plan for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the Ocean Sciences
By Haunani H. Kane, C. Anela Choy, Barbara C. Bruno, Diamond K. Tachera, Keku‘iapōiula Keliipuleole, Jennifer A.T.K. Wong-Ala, John H.R. Burns, Clifford A. Kapono, Kailey H. Pascoe, Kainalu Steward, and Rosanna ‘Anolani Alegado

Oceanography’s Diversity Deficit: Identifying and Addressing Challenges for Marginalized Groups
By Salma T. Abdel-Raheem, Allison R. Payne, Milagros G. Rivera, S. Kersey Sturdivant, Nia S. Walker, Melissa C. Márquez, Armando Ornelas, Mo Turner, Kelsey Byers, and Roxanne S. Beltran

Advancing Diversity and Inclusivity in Ocean Sciences by Re-Envisioning Overlooked Barriers in Scientific Diving Training
By Paul H. Barber, Jeannie K. Barber-Choi, Austin Betancourt, Benjamin Cuker, Alexandra C.D. Davis, Caitlin R. Fong, Peggy Fong, Jon Fong, Deidre M. Gibson, and Tyler B. Smith

Black Women in Ocean Science: Barriers to Advancement and Strategies to Move Forward
By Lys M. Isma, Miranda L. Bernard, Janelle Layton, Rose Santana, Keiko W. Wilkins, and Danielle Nembhard

SPOTLIGHT • Neurodiversity: An Important Axis of Diversity in Ocean Sciences
By Jamie D. Wilson, Elizabeth Sibert, Maria Grigoratou, Chloe L.C. Jones, Leah Rubin, and Zeinab Smillie

SPOTLIGHT • Reimagining Policies, Practices, and Culture to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at NOAA
By Emily Osborne, Catalina Martinez, Sim D. Aberson, Kristine Nelson, Sarah Duncan, Chassidy Ryals, Felix Muñoz, and Thia Griffin-Elliott

SPOTLIGHT • Creating Pathways for Nontraditional Graduate Students
By Phoebe Woodworth-Jefcoats, Mackenzie Jahnke, Evan A. Howell, Donald R. Kobayashi, Chad Miller, Ryan Nichols, and Megan Onuma

SPOTLIGHT • Breaking Down Financial Barriers to Fieldwork
By Krista Kamer, Kimberly Jassowski, Georgia Martel, and Christine R. Whitcraft

SPOTLIGHT • Safe Space Commitment
By Rosana Pedra Nobre, Elisa Caref, Elizabeth Balladares, and Laurel Zaima-Sheehy

SPOTLIGHT • Fair Winds and Following Seas Remotely: Modifying Perceptions of Fieldwork as a Requirement in Marine Science to Aid in Diversifying the Discipline
By Anna Nousek-McGregor, Ben Fisher, Chelsey A. Baker, Carol Robinson, Gillian M. Damerell, Cecilia M. Liszka, Sophie Fielding, and Pilvi Muschitiello

A Look at Some Federally Funded Programs

Federal Support Fosters Ocean Workforce Diversity Through Programmatic Investments and Community Action
By Candace Kairies-Beatty, Elizabeth L. Rom, Vankita Brown, Natasha White, Kevin Reath, and Emily Shroyer

Preparing a Diverse Future Workforce in Marine and Fisheries Science: The NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center
By Paulinus Chigbu, Elizabeth A. Babcock, Deidre M. Gibson, Dionne Hoskins-Brown, Rose Jagus, Jessica A. Miller, Margaret A. Sexton, Stacy L. Smith, Bradley Stevens, David J. Die, Eric Schott, and Victoria Young

SPOTLIGHT • A Bridge to Marine Geosciences: A Learning Community for College Transfer Students
By Jane Dolliver, Jose M. Guzmán, Mikelle Nuwer, LuAnne A. Thompson, and Kerry A. Naish

Expanding Access to Ocean Science Through Inclusively Designed Data Sonifications
By Leslie M. Smith, Amy Bower, Jessica Roberts, Jon Bellona, and Huaigu Li

SPOTLIGHT • Supporting the Next Generation of Leaders in the Geosciences: Barnard’s Environmental Science Pathways Scholar Program
By Logan Brenner, Brian J. Mailloux, Sedelia Rodriguez, Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch, Elizabeth M. Cook, Fatima Koli, Christine Marizzi, Robert J. Frawley, Batoul Saad, and Martin Stute

Intergenerational Interventions to Cultivate DEI-Champions: Increased Resilience and Accountability Through “Shipboard” Experiences
By Raquel Bryant, Benjamin A. Keisling, Brian Chad Starks, Bella Nunn, Lisa D. White, Jonathan C. Lewis, and Sharon Cooper

Mentoring the Mentors: A Workshop Series to Support Inclusive Mentoring Practices
By Gretchen E. Hofmann, Virginia Beaufort, Xochitl S. Clare, and Malaphone Phommasa

Other Initiatives

SPOTLIGHT • Student-Led Mentoring System Designed to Lower Barriers for Graduate School Applicants
By Ciara Willis, Shouyi Wang, Anna Walsh, Max Jahns, Katie Halloran, Natalie Kukshtel, and EeShan Bhatt

SPOTLIGHT • Salton Sea Environmental Work and the Importance of Community Science
By Diego Centeno, Isabella B. Arzeno-Soltero, Andrea Delgado, Mara Freilich, Cruz Marquez, Quinn Montgomery, Aydee Palomino, Gwen Penalber, Ryan Sinclair, and Juliana Taboada

SPOTLIGHT • Excluded Identity Retention in STEM: A Roadmap for Inclusive Undergraduate Research Symposia
By Madison P. Heard, Caitlin L. Nordheim, Cheyenne McKinley, Zoe L. Zilz, Victoria A. Jones, Bridget A. Vincent, and Eleanor M. Caves

Charting the Course to Advance DEI in the Ocean Sciences: A Case Study
By Christopher F. D’Elia, Katherine Falls , Sibel Bargu, and Linda M. Hooper-Bùi

SPOTLIGHT • The Culture of Science in Academia Is Overdue for Change
By John H.R. Burns, Clifford A. Kapono, Kailey H. Pascoe, and Haunani H. Kane

SPOTLIGHT • Challenger Society for Marine Science: Increasing Opportunity Through an Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility Working Group
By Ben Fisher, Katharine Hendry, Gillian Damerell, Chelsey A. Baker, Millie Goddard-Dwyer, Siddhi Joshi, Alice Marzocchi, Anna Nousek-McGregor, Carol Robinson, Katie R. Sieradzan, Alessandro Tagliabue, and Katrien Van Landeghem

Unpacking Diversity: A Grassroots Initiative and Its Institutional Evolution
By Alejandra Sanchez-Rios, Thi B. Truong, Jennifer A.T.K. Wong-Ala, Melissa McCracken, and Melva Treviño

SPOTLIGHT • Code to Communicate: Empowering Bilingual Connections in Earth Science
By Angelique Rosa Marín, Isamar M. Cortés, Tamara Aránguiz-Rago, Agustina Pesce, Julie Libarkin, and Nicole Gasparini

SPOTLIGHT • The Ocean as a Classroom: Considering the Roles of Equity, Diversity, and Justice in Oceanographic Knowledge Production to Promote Accessibility for Future Generations
By Natalia G. Erazo, Tricia Light, Dante A. Capone, Anna L. Effinger, Pierina F. Erazo, Linqing Huang, Ankitha Kannad, Kaycie B. Lanpher, Emmet Norris, Shannon O. Perry, Emilio Romero, Tamara M. Russell, Ruth I. Varner, Laney Wicker, Aoming Yu, Dongran Zhai, and Richard D. Norris

SPOTLIGHT • Women of the Water: Enhancing Equity and Inclusion in Aquaculture
By Blair H. Morrison, Marcy L. Cockrell, Nicole R. Rhody, and Kevan L. Main

Micro Communities of Safety: Perspectives from NOAA Employee Resource Group Members
By Jeanette Davis, Catalina Martinez, and Vankita Brown

Special Issue Guest Editors

• Ben Cuker, Hampton University
• Corey Garza, University of Washington
• Deidre Gibson, Hampton University
• Catalina Martinez, NOAA Ocean Exploration
• Wendy F. Todd, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Cassie Xu, formerly with Columbia Climate School, Columbia University