The Ocean Decade Coordination Office for the Tropical Americas and Caribbean (DCO-TAC) invites the scientific community to actively participate in four calls for papers in leading international scientific journals, focused on the publication of Special Issues related to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).

27 August 2025
These initiatives represent a unique opportunity for the regional and global scientific community to showcase research addressing fundamental themes for the future of the ocean, including marine biodiversity, ocean health, sustainability in deltas, and ocean literacy.
A total of five scientific journals are participating in the calls:
-
Marine Pollution Bulletin
-
Ocean & Coastal Management
-
Regional Studies in Marine Science
-
Marine Environmental Research
-
Journal of Sea Research
Active Calls for Papers:
1. Conservation and Management of Marine Biodiversity
-
Journals: Marine Pollution Bulletin, Regional Studies in Marine Science, Ocean & Coastal Management, Marine Environmental Research
-
Submission deadline: December 31, 2026
-
More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/322036/ocean-decade_-conservation-and-management-of-marine-biodiversity
2. Sustainable Marine Pollution and Ocean Health
-
Journals: Marine Pollution Bulletin, Regional Studies in Marine Science, Marine Environmental Research
-
Submission deadline: November 30, 2026
-
More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/322705/ocean-decade-sustainable-marine-pollution-and-ocean-health
3. Megadelta Programme – Sustainability of Deltas Associated with Large Rivers
-
Journals: Ocean & Coastal Management, Regional Studies in Marine Science
-
Submission deadline: December 31, 2026
-
More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/322112/ocean-decade_-megadelta-programme-deltas-associated-with-large-rivers-seeking-solutions-for-the-problem-of-sustainability
4. Promoting Ocean Literacy
-
Journals: Ocean & Coastal Management, Journal of Sea Research
-
Submission deadline: April 30, 2026
-
More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/322296/ocean-decade_promoting-ocean-literacy
All submitted articles will undergo peer review and must meet the quality standards required by each journal. While Open Access publication is not mandatory, opting for it will provide greater visibility and impact for the published research.
The DCO-TAC warmly encourages researchers, academics, and experts from the region and around the world to contribute to these Special Issues, thereby strengthening ocean science and its role in sustainable development.
CURRENT NEWS ITEMS

10 December 2024
Spanning 21 marine World Heritage sites in 19 countries, the UNESCO eDNA Expeditions pilot program demonstrated the transformative potential of citizen science in enhancing ocean…

5 December 2024
Held from November 18-22 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the event marked a significant milestone in global ocean prediction science. It brought together 350 on-site participants and attracted 1,…

2 December 2024
Co-organised by the Government of Colombia, UNESCO, and partners, and focused on the central concept of “Science that dialogues” in its fourth edition, the CILAC 2024 Forum will be a space in…

15 October 2024
Following the milestone 2024 Ocean Decade Conference and ahead of major biodiversity and climate negotiations…

3 June 2024
Under the theme “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity,” the SIDS4 Conference covered diverse and urgent issues facing SIDS, including climate change…

25 April 2024
At 15:00 UTC, more than 700,000 registered participants took part in the annual exercise organised by UNESCO/IOC…

17 April 2024
Launched on the heels of the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, Call for Decade Actions No. 07/2024 aims to fill…

26 February 2024