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The Ocean Equity Index

Published Article

Global

Publication date: January 28, 2026

File format: URL

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The Ocean Equity Index is a scoring framework designed to assess and improve equity in ocean initiatives, projects, and policies. Applied to local, national, and global case studies, the index generates structured data to support evidence-based governance and guide more equitable outcomes for coastal communities and marine ecosystems worldwide

Subject Tags

  • Coastal
  • Social Sciences
  • Equitable conservation

Abstract

The ocean is essential for humanity 1,2,3. Yet, inequity in ocean-based activities is widespread and accelerating 4,5,6,7,8. Addressing this requires governance approaches that can systematically measure equity and track progress 9. Here we present the Ocean Equity Index (OEI)—a framework for assessing and improving equity in ocean initiatives, projects and policies. We apply the index, which scores twelve criteria, to case studies at local, national and global scales. We show that the OEI can generate structured data to support evidence-based decision-making across ocean sectors and scales. As a theoretically robust and widely applicable tool, the OEI can guide the design of more equitable ocean initiatives, projects or policies, ensuring better outcomes for coastal people and marine ecosystems.

Citation

Equity, O. (2026). The Ocean Equity Index. Nature, 650, 123.

TNC Authors

  • Sangeeta Mangubhai
    The Nature Conservancy