Applications of OA Science
Blue Charter Introductory Training on Ocean Acidification for Commonwealth Government Officials
The Commonwealth Blue Charter is an agreement by all 56 Commonwealth countries to actively cooperate to solve ocean-related challenges and meet commitments for sustainable ocean action. The Blue Charter helps Commonwealth countries work together on a fair, inclusive and sustainable approach to ocean protection and economic development.
The Commonwealth Blue Charter’s Action Group on Ocean Acidification developed the Policymakers’ Handbook for Addressing the Impacts of Ocean Acidification, which utilizes a “Path to Action” framework for government officials to identify priorities for OA action and develop appropriate response strategies.
Building on the Policymaker’s Handbook, the Blue Charter Introductory Training on Ocean Acidification course was designed to equip participants with the necessary tools to tackle ocean acidification by developing a comprehensive strategy that integrates mitigation, monitoring, and policy actions. Designed for policymakers, the course covers the fundamentals of ocean acidification, its impacts on marine ecosystems, and practical strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Participants also explore the importance of monitoring, global collaborations, and policy options to address this critical issue.
This self-paced course is divided into 6 modules and provides a structured approach to identifying priority actions for tackling ocean acidification at regional and national levels. This course is available to the public, free of charge. The register, participants must create a Commonwealth eLearning Platform account and follow the instructions.
Logistics
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The course was developed by the Blue Charter’s Action Group on OA and offered by a team of experts in OA science and policy:
Dr. Christina McGraw, University of Otago
Salesa Nihmei, SPREP
Prof. Cliff Law, NIWA
Dr. Kim Currie, NIWA
Jessie Turner, OA Alliance
Dr. Katy Soapi, SPC
Alejandra Navarrete, The Ocean Foundation
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This course was designed by the Blue Charter’s Action Group on OA, building from a 2019 in-person technical workshop co-hosted by New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Environment. The original training course shared out key elements of the Policymakers’ Handbook for Addressing the Impacts of Ocean Acidification which was developed by Blue Charter Action Group on OA in 2020.
The first live presentation of this course was offered in two time zones (Pacific and BST) between 23 - 26 May 2022. After the live delivery, material for a self-paced course was developed from the live lectures recordings, and made available to the public in May 2025.
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The Blue Charter’s Action Group on OA comprises a team of experts in ocean acidification science and policy from across the Commonwealth. This team designed the curriculum for six online modules by combining social science with synthesis of existing chemical and biological data collected from lab experiments, intertidal areas, and the open ocean. These modules cover topics that include ocean acidification and its impacts on marine assets; adaptation and mitigation strategies; and monitoring, modeling, and forecasting ocean acidification.
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The six modules were delivered over two 2.3-hour sessions. For each session, opportunities for participant engagement were provided through Mentimeter polls, small-group discussion, and a panel session with the day’s speakers. Between the two sessions, participants completed Handbook templates 2, 3, and 4. By completing the templates, participants gained experience with the Path to Action approach by identifying existing infrastructure, expertise, and funding that are already available to address OA in their region.
Objectives
Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to: describe the causes and consequences of OA; provide a brief overview of adaptation and mitigation options; understand the role of regional collaborations and community discussions when identifying priorities for OA action; demonstrate how the Policymakers’ Handbook for Addressing the Impacts of Ocean Acidification can be used to identify strategies to address OA; understand the role of OA monitoring in forecasting future conditions and supporting mitigation strategies; demonstrate how multi-actor dialogues at regional and local levels support implementation of OA policy and research; and describe policy options to address OA.
Lessons Learned
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135 people expressed interest in attending the original live course: 97 for the Pacific offering and 38 for the BST offering. All BST registrants and approximately 2/3 of the Pacific registrants were accepted. In total, 101 participants were invited to attend. Of these, approximately half completed the exit survey, which is consistent with the participation we noted during the live sessions.
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When participants in the original live course were asked to consider their “understanding of management and policy options to address OA after completion of the course”, 60% had “excellent” (13%) or “good” (47%) understanding, while 21% had “average” understanding and 17% had “some idea”. One participant (2%) still felt OA was a “new concept”.
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The exit survey was completed by 50% of the 94 final registrants for the original live course. Exit survey results indicate that participants were satisfied with the course content and quality of the delivery. In addition, 87% of participants responded that they learned what they “had hoped to learn on the course”, while the remaining 13% “partially” learned what they had hoped.
Although the exit survey indicates that participants were satisfied with the approach, almost half suggested allowing more time for discussion and course content.
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The most important takeaway from Blue Charter Introductory Training on Ocean Acidification for Commonwealth Government Officials is that it’s necessary for scientists and policy makers to undergo training opportunities together. Well-established entities like the Commonwealth Blue Charter can play a critical role in organizing, funding and endorsing collaborations around OA mitigation, monitoring and policy in one region.
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