From publication to action: connecting science, policy, and public attention for ocean-related climate mitigation

Ocean-related options (OROs), including marine renewable energy and ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, are emerging as promising climate mitigation actions. OROs vary widely in technological maturity and risk acceptability, yet as scientific literature exponentially increases, synthesising the current state of evidence is a major challenge. Using causal inference across diverse datasets from scientific publications, policy and legislation documents, social media posts, and deployment metrics, we identify scientific publications and social media attention as direct drivers of action. However, when social media attention overtakes research, actions may advance ahead of science – underscoring the need for responsive and robust policy development. Through a narrative analysis of three case studies, we identify that at a global scale, coordinated and well-designed policy with decisive implementation is key for catalysing step-changes in ORO progress. Together, our findings reveal the dynamic relationships linking science to action and highlight pathways for the effective and responsible scaling of OROs in the coming decades.