ABSTRACT
Conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development requires immense global effort and cooperation. Scientific research to empirically assess progress toward (or away from) Sustainable Development Goal 14 indicators has been challenging and is revealing worrisome trends. Ocean sport participants and organizations, however, are mobilizing to contribute to data collection efforts and lending urgency to calls for the rapid reversal of ecological harm. The chapter sheds light on the work being done by ocean sports-based organizations to collect and distribute data, advocate for and create protected areas, directly clean oceans and beaches, and demonstrate the underappreciated economic value associated with ocean sports participation. The authors conclude by advocating that ocean sport enthusiasts’ passion, which leads to frequent (sometimes daily) interactions with the sea, be more effectively leveraged to forge partnerships for measuring and achieving SDG 14 indicators.
