Meeting the Demand: Aligning Marine Biodiversity Data Supply with Policy Needs

Chris McOwen, Grace Chandler, Caroline Faessler, Rhian Bland, Valeriia Vakhitovaa, Charlotte Lamb, Ella L Howes, Lucy C Woodall, Verity Nye, Oliver Steeds, Alex Rogers

The effective implementation of international, regional, and national commitments on marine biodiversity depends on reliable data. However, there is often a disconnect between the information generated by scientists and the data explicitly required by policy processes. This review systematically examined more than thirty policy instruments and mapped over 1,000 explicit data requirements to identify where science can most effectively contribute. Using the pressure–state–response framework, the analysis found that pressures such as pollution, fishing, and habitat degradation dominate policy demand, though important attributes such as intensity, frequency, and cumulative impacts are rarely specified. State-related data on species, habitats, and ecosystems are frequently required but remain difficult to monitor consistently due to technical, logistical, and conceptual challenges. Response-related data are less often highlighted in policy instruments but are increasingly needed to guide and evaluate management interventions, including spatial planning and restoration. Emerging priorities include climate-related stressors, connectivity, invasive species, blue carbon systems, and genetic diversity, which are not yet widely reflected in instruments but are growing in importance. The review concludes that improved monitoring resolution, better integration of pressures, states, and responses, investment in new technologies, and stronger interoperability and inclusivity are all critical. By clarifying points of convergence in policy demand and highlighting key gaps, the study provides practical guidance to help marine scientists and monitoring practitioners generate data that are more directly relevant to policy and governance.