Abstract Coastal communities, indigenous peoples, and small-scale fishers rely on the ocean for livelihoods, for subsistence, for wellbeing and for cultural continuity. Thus, understanding the human dimensions of the world’s peopled seas and coasts is fundamental to evidence-based decision-making across marine policy realms, including marine conservation, marine spatial planning, fisheries management, the blue economy and climate adaptation. This perspective article contends that the marine social sciences must inform the pursuit of sustainable oceans. To this end, the article introduces this burgeoning field and briefly reviews the insights that social science can offer to guide ocean and coastal policy and management. The upcoming United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) provides a tremendous opportunity to build on the current interest, need for and momentum in the marine social sciences. We will be missing the boat if the marine social sciences do not form an integral and substantial part of the mandate and investments of this global ocean science for sustainability initiative.

中文翻译：

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人类海洋的海洋社会科学

摘要 沿海社区、土著人民和小规模渔民依靠海洋谋生、维持生计、幸福和文化延续。因此，了解世界上有人居住的海洋和海岸的人文层面对于跨海洋政策领域的循证决策至关重要，包括海洋保护、海洋空间规划、渔业管理、蓝色经济和气候适应。这篇观点文章认为，海洋社会科学必须为追求可持续海洋提供信息。为此，本文介绍了这个新兴领域，并简要回顾了社会科学可以提供的指导海洋和沿海政策和管理的见解。即将到来的联合国海洋科学促进可持续发展十年（2021-2030）提供了一个巨大的机会，可以在当前对海洋社会科学的兴趣、需求和势头的基础上再接再厉。如果海洋社会科学不构成这一全球海洋科学可持续发展倡议的任务和投资的组成部分和重要组成部分，我们将错失良机。