Science Communication
Maps reflect what we know about a place. The Spilhaus Projection shows an enlightening view in which it is obvious that all ocean basins are connected to one another.  In other words, although there are many ocean basins (the Atlantic, the Pacific, etc.), there is really only one ocean. 

The Spilhaus Projection shown on the left was created by Lubchenco's colleagues* to highlight the two areas of the ocean that are under very different jurisdictions: the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the world, in dark blue, are governed by nations; the high seas (in light blue) are international waters. Of course, marine life moves freely across these invisible-to-them political boundaries.

The High Seas represent nearly 2/3 of the ocean. They also account for nearly 1/2 of the surface area and 2/3 of the biosphere of the planet.
The High Seas Treaty [formally called the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement], becomes international law (‘comes into force’) on January 17, 2026. ​​After over 2 decades of discussion and negotiation, followed by UN Member States signing and ratifying the Agreement, the world finally has a legal instrument to protect and sustainably use the high seas. See Lubchenco's article on the High Seas Treaty (ReadCube link: https://rdcu.be/eY7is).
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​Map credit: Esri, GEBCO, Garmin, NaturalVue, NOAA NGDC, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), and CEOAS, OSU
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*Lubchenco is grateful to Dr. Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist, and John Nelson, Cartographer and User Experience, at Esri and to Cory Langhoff, Lead Geospatial Scientist, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science at Oregon State University for responding so effectively and enthusiastically to her invitation to develop this new map. ​
Under Secretary of State Jose Fernandez signed the High Seas Treaty for the U.S., with witnesses Elizabeth Kim, J.R. Littlejohn and Jane Lubchenco, at the United Nations, September 20, 2023
Science communication and engagement form bridges between scientists, stakeholders, policymakers, and the public. From art to legal briefs, op-eds to social media, some of Dr. Lubchenco's science communication is highlighted below. ​
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‘Our Changing Seas III’ (glazed stoneware and porcelain) with its creator Courtney Mattison, Jane’s academic granddaughter. Photo: Jeff Minton.
Above: Jane and Courtney share thoughts about science, art, climate change and coral reefs in "Clay, Coral, and Climate Change: Conserving the Seas through Ceramic Art" in the exhibition catalogue for Fragile Earth, the Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art.
Recent Op-eds and Editorials
Recent Interviews
 
2026
 2025   
​Recent, Selected, Public Presentations
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​2025 
  • World Economic Forum’s 1000 Ocean Start-Ups, keynote, Seattle, WA
  • ​One Ocean Seattle Week – Washington Maritime Blue – keynote address, Seattle, WA
  • Sasakawa Peace Foundation – Ocean Policy Research Institute – keynote address, Tokyo
  • Japan’s G-1 Global Day, invited speaker, Tokyo 
  • World Expo Osaka 2025, Blue Pavilion keynote speaker, Osaka, Japan 
  • University of Virginia’s Environmental Institute’s Environmental Futures Forum, keynote speaker, Charlottesville, VA   
  • New York Climate Week: United By Nature Initiative – Knowledge to Action: Ensuring Impact speaker, New York, NY 
  • AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows keynote speaker, Washington, D.C. 
  • Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society and Association for the Study of Food and Society’s Conference invited speaker, Corvallis, OR 
  • Doris Duke Foundation and National Geographic Society Climate Investing Forum, speaker, Duke Farms, NJ  
  • University of Utah Wilkes Climate Summit, keynote speaker 
  • Starmus – La Palma: Seas the Day: A New Narrative for the Ocean, Puerto Naos, La Palma, Canary Islands 
  • Hatfield Marine Science Center’s Special Hatfield Event: An Evening of Science and Policy with Jane Lubchenco: Seas the Day: A New Narrative for the Ocean, April 16, 2025 Source - YouTube Newport, OR 
  • Hitchcock Lectures, University of California at Berkeley: (1) Science in the White House   & (2) Seas the Day, Berkeley, CA 
  • Pontifical Academy of Sciences Regional Summit: Climate Resilience for California and Californians Summit, Sacramento and virtual  ​
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"climate stripes" graphic depicting temperature change, Ed Hawkins
Amicus Briefs

Lubchenco, J. and 29 other authors. 2019, in support of appellees in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in the case of ​Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, et al. (Plaintiffs – Appellants) v. Wilbur Ross, et al. (Defendants – Appellees) and Natural Resources Defense Council et al. (Intervenors for Defendants-Appellees). The brief outlined the importance of upholding the 2016 designation of the 4,913 sq mi Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument by President Obama under the Antiquities Act. This rich marine habitat is home to many unique species of deep sea corals. The steep walls of the marine canyons circulate nutrient rich waters, providing food, and shelter for many fishes, invertebrates, and mammals. The area partially encompassed by the National Monument provides important habitat for several vulnerable whale species, including sperm, fin, and sei whales. The rich habitats of these submarine canyons sustain a number of commercially fished species, including finfishes and tuna. More information about the Monument can be found on NOAA's webpage. 

For additional information about the brief, see: 
Other Amicus Briefs coauthored by Dr. Lubchenco:
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  • Parenteau, P., K. Caldeira and J. Lubchenco. Brief of Amicus Curiae Scientists in support of plaintiff Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. EPA et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-01866JLR filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, regarding failure of EPA to list coastal waters of Washington and Oregon as impaired in light of evidence of impairment due to ocean acidification. 2014.
  • Parenteau, P., K. Caldeira and J. Lubchenco. Brief of Amicus Curiae Scientists in support of plaintiff Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. EPA et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-01866JLR filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, regarding failure of EPA to list coastal waters of Washington and Oregon as impaired in light of evidence of impairment due to ocean acidification. 2014.
  • Cairns, J. Jr., H. L. Carson, J. M. Diamond, P.R. Ehrlich, T. Eisner, S. J. Gould, D. H. Janzen, J. Lubchenco, E. Mayer, C.D. Michener, G. H. Orians, S. L. Pimm, D. Simberloff, J. W. Terbourgh, M.J. West-Eberhard, E.O. Wilson. Brief of Amicus Curiae scientists in support of petitioner USA filed February 21, for U.S. Supreme Court Case No. 94-859: Bruce Babbitt, et al., (Petitioners) v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon et al. (Respondents). 1995.
Graphic Guide to Marine Protected Areas

The new Graphic Guide to Marine Protected Areas, a joint product of Oregon State University, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, the Marine Conservation Institute, the National Geographic Society, and the UN Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center, and led by Dr. Lubchenco, provides an easy-to-understand explanation of the importance of effective marine protection. It includes information about important metrics to measure and predict the outcomes of MPAs at varying levels of protection and stages of establishment, from "minimally" to "fully" protected. 

For more information about the MPA Guide, see: ​https://oursharedseas.com/oss_downloads/the-mpa-guide/
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A page from the Graphic Guide to Marine Protected Areas.
Ocean Panel Report

In 2020, the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) published a report on ocean solutions to global challenges: "Ocean Solutions that Benefit People, Nature, and the Economy" outlining the role of a healthy ocean in fighting climate change, improving food security, and providing renewable energy sources. Informed by 19 "blue-papers" commissioned by the Ocean Panel, the report outlines a "new ocean narrative" in which the ocean is neither "too big to fail" nor "too big to fix" but is rather "too big to ignore". The "health, wealth, and well-being of the world and its people depend on the ocean."  Dr. Lubchenco is a co-author of the Report. 

 Download the report and executive summary here: oceanpanel.org/ocean-action/people-nature-economy-report.html
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Figure 1 in the Executive Summary: "A Sustainable Ocean Economy Can Create a Triple Win for People, Nature and the Economy" Source: https://oceanpanel.org/ocean-action/files/executive-summary-ocean-solutions-report-eng.pdf