Conserving and sustainably using the oceans and marine resources, is a global priority reflected in numerous policy documents (Christie and Cárcamo-Ulloa, 2023). Proposed solutions to many marine sustainability issues include increasing ocean literacy (OL) in society and, connecting ocean science and education for sustainable development (ESD) (Santoro et al., 2017). Dealing with the complexity and sometimes contested character of sustainability issues brings about challenges for educators, including those working in marine education. While expert knowledge concerning sustainability issues does not always offer us an unambiguous and uncontested foundation for decision-making (Ashley, 2000), there is often disagreement on norms and values at stake and on the acceptability of proposed solutions (Håkansson et al., 2019). Such issues, characterised by a lack of clear-cut solutions, are at odds with common conceptions of education as transferring specific knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Therefore, calls are made for pluralistic approaches to teaching and learning where students explore various ideas from different perspectives and disciplines, without falling into the risk of an ‘anything-goes’ approach that disregards the far-reaching consequences of sustainability problems (Tryggvason et al., 2023). Moreover, researchers have emphasised the importance of ‘action-oriented’ teaching, an approach that aims to provide students with the necessary abilities to act with reference to sustainability concerns and avoid ‘eco-paralysis’ (Jensen and Schnack, 1997).  Consequently, new approaches to teaching and learning in marine education are required to develop educational strategies that deal with these complex matters, and which foster the development of sustainability competencies (Santoro et al., 2017).

Over the past two decades, significant contributions have been made by the international community of marine educators (i.e., the National Marine Educators Association in the US, the European Marine Science Education Association, and the Canadian Network for Ocean Coalition), alongside several educational initiatives aimed at promoting OL and marine education. This effort is evidenced by the grey literature and the significant increase in peer-reviewed publications related to OL and marine education over the last six years (Shellock et al., 2024). Nevertheless, academic research in marine science (formal) education remains limited, relatively new, and undeveloped, with few peer-reviewed publications available; highlighting the need for further research in this field. Fauville and colleagues (2019) associated this lack of research with two main challenges in marine education: a) in many countries the ocean is not included in the school curricula, and b) ‘the inherent complexity of marine environmental issues makes them arduous to understand’ (p. 9). In addition, other researchers argue that marine science and OL topics are underrepresented in school curricula worldwide (Christie and Cárcamo-Ulloa, 2023). Moreover, the need for marine science education to draw on concepts from multiple disciplines to address the functioning of marine environments, challenges teachers’ knowledge and the successful implementation of these concepts in the classroom (McPherson et al., 2020). 

In this paper, we explore the existing research literature focusing on articles referring to referring to SE (Sustainability Education) processes (i.e., curricular and co-curricular activities) in formal education settings (schools and universities) We draw on a review of literature  to understand five main topics: a) sustainability issues mentioned specifically in relation to marine sustainability; b) sustainability issues being addressed in marine education interventions currently; c) the methods through which the teaching and learning take place; d) competencies valued in relation to sustainability; and e) arguments as to why SE is regarded as important for marine science education.

A systematic review method was followed based on guidelines recommended by PRISMA Transparent Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (Page et al., 2021). The review was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science multidisciplinary databases to access publications related to SE in marine sciences. The PRISMA review protocol used consists of four key steps: 1) We conducted our search by using keywords and included all publications recorded by both databases. Peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, review papers, and articles published in languages other than English, were included in the review process. The keyword search was limited to the title, abstract, and keywords. After duplicates were removed, 2,552 publications remained. 2) We screened the resulting publications and irrelevant records were excluded based on title, thereby removing 2,317 off-topic records. 3) Then, in a third step, we reviewed the records by abstract, and excluded 104 publications. The exclusion criteria at this stage related to articles that were not specific to marine sciences and/or formal education settings. 4) In a fourth step, we assessed the eligibility of the remaining 131 records by reviewing the articles in full. The final sample of 66 publications included various contexts, authors, research methodologies, theoretical backgrounds, and educational approaches reflecting the heterogeneity of SE which can take different forms depending on the educational setting and the specificity of the content addressed (Van Poeck et al., 2019). We analysed the data using the thematic analysis method described by Byrne (2022). 1) First, we read the entire set of articles to get ‘familiarised’ with the data and to be able to identify appropriate information relevant to the aim of the research. 2) Next, we generated codes; an emergent coding process was carried out based on identifying aspects of the data and pieces of information that were relevant to address the research questions. 3) We examined the patterns within the data and combined the codes according to shared meanings to form themes and sub-themes. Here we used a combination of both, deductive (theory-driven) and inductive (data-driven) approaches to identify the themes. 4) In the next step, themes were reviewed and the researchers involved in this work held five meetings to discuss the findings and assess the most apt interpretation of the data in relation to the research questions. 5) Then, we defined and named the themes in relation to the subthemes, the dataset, and the research questions.

Fisheries, climate change, pollution, and marine biodiversity are often addressed topics in educational interventions. The social and economic dimensions of sustainability are considered relevant for marine science education, but the lack of detailed information about curriculum content impedes clarity about what exactly is considered important and being taught in this regard. The reviewed literature reports on a wide variety of teaching methods but the observed large variation in the terms that are used is not always elaborately and explicitly conceptualised. Very few publications do so with reference to educational theories. Thus, the teaching and learning methods are approached in a rather taken-for-granted, descriptive way rather than analytically in view of contributing to progressing theory in relation to pedagogy. While the importance of sustainability competencies (Redman & Wiek, 2021) is highlighted due to the increasing relevance of environmental and sustainability concerns, we often observed that they are described in a general manner without specifying the sustainability/marine science perspective. Furthermore, the literature does not provide information on how these competencies are being operationalised and how they can be effectively developed in educational practices. Another observation is the lack of attention for intrapersonal skills. Arguments as to why SE is important for marine science include both the use of education as an instrument for sustainability and the intrinsic value of education. In the literature reviewed, education is seen to play a critical role in promoting behavioural changes, environmental attitudes and actions, and ocean stewardship. Moreover, SE is considered to promote awareness of marine environmental issues , ocean citizenship, and students’ ability to make responsible and informed decisions that consider a fair and sustainable society. We conclude with recommendations for educators seeking to adopt a SE approach in their teaching activities and discuss pathways for follow-up research in marine science higher education programmes.

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