In the 2016/2017 cohort only 2% of UK undergraduates in potential feeder subjects to the marine and coastal sector were Black and 3% Asian, making it the least ethnically diverse degree in the UK. There are also known to be significant barriers to entering and progressing within the sector for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and for disabled people.

There is an urgent need to diversify the marine and coastal community and bring in the perspectives and energy of currently under-represented groups, so the full spectrum of solutions can be heard.

We worked with the Ocean and Coastal Futures team to carry out a comprehensive desk review and a series of stakeholder interviews to understand the root causes of the problem. We talked about inequality of access to blue spaces, the brand imagery of marine science, the ‘leaky pipeline’ in universities and the micro-aggressions and racism experienced within the sector.

This report intends to get the whole sector quickly up to speed with the dynamics of the issue, set out a vision of success and signpost to organisations, tools and networks to accelerate change. It encourages all senior leaders to take the time to reflect on their organisations within this broader context and how they can contribute internally and externally to this much needed change.