Mapping ocean literacy educational journeys: a systematic scoping review

The ocean sustains all life, yet many children and young people enjoy few opportunities to learn about the ocean through their formal education. The aim of this scoping review was to map the current state of research into ocean learning in formal education worldwide, and explore whether this research may be contributing to bringing about an ocean literate society, i.e. one that understands the inextricable relationship between humans and the ocean. Findings indicate that the ocean is a bourgeoning educational research topic, with 122 articles included in the final review. However, the findings suggest ocean learning experiences remain narrow in scope, often focused on improving students’ understanding of the ocean as a physical environment while failing to provide diverse, multi-disciplinary learning about the multifaceted value of the ocean. We propose a novel model to guide future ocean literacy educational developments and support implementation of holistic ‘blue curricula’.