Marine Data Exchange Heritage Accelerator Endorsed by UN Ocean Decade

Endorsement as a Decade Action gives the MDEHA project significant global status and exposure as a contributing part of a major UN initiative. As a Decade Action MDEHA is now part of the largest global ocean science initiative ever undertaken and is specifically contributing towards 3 of the 10 Ocean Decade Challenges:

• Challenge 4: Develop a sustainable, resilient and equitable ocean economy
  "Generate knowledge, support innovation and multi-sectoral partnerships and develop solutions for equitable, resilient and sustainable development of the ocean economy under changing environmental, social and climate conditions."
• Challenge 9: Skills, knowledge, technology and participation for all
  "Ensure comprehensive capacity development and equitable access to data, information, knowledge and technology across all aspects of ocean science and for all stakeholders".
• Challenge 10: Restore society’s relationship with the ocean
  "Meaningful society-ocean connections are strengthened, driving increased motivation, capability and opportunity for people, across all sectors of society, to make decisions, act and behave in ways that ensure a healthy ocean."

These challenges are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, showing how marine heritage can directly address our world’s most pressing needs. In short, MDEHA is now an acknowledged part of the Ocean Decade’s mission: transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, connecting people and our ocean.

MDEHA will contribute to the Ocean Decade as part of the wider Cultural Heritage Framework Programme, led by the Ocean Decade Heritage Network and supported by the Lloyds Register Foundation. MDEHA forms part of the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change (OWEC) programme, led by The Crown Estate in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). As a Decade Action, MDEHA also forms part of the UK’s overall contribution to the Ocean Decade, co-ordinated by Ocean Decade UK.