Abstract: Achieving sustainable development requires scientists, decision-makers and practitioners to understand and work with synergies and trade-offs among the social, economic and environmental components of sustainability. I will talk about two recent projects focused on these synergies and trade-offs. The first explores how funding and prioritisation decisions relating to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are influencing our capacity to support human well-being in the long-term. To illustrate this I will discuss three examples of social issues (reducing poverty, hunger and gender inequality) that are directly impacted by efforts to support ocean health. The second project focuses on developing a more sustainable vision for the interactions between ocean health and human health over the UN Decade for Ocean Science (2021-2030), and describes a pathway of actions to achieve this vision. I will finish by discussing some key lessons I have learnt in my shift in focus from marine ecological research to more interdisciplinary studies.

Biography: Kirsty is Theme Leader in ‘Sustainable Futures and Planetary Health’ at the Centre for Marine Socioecology, an interdisciplinary research centre created in 2015 as a partnership between the University of Tasmania and CSIRO. She is also a Research Fellow in the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. Prior to her move to Hobart, Kirsty was a Research Assistant, PhD Candidate and PostDoc at the CoE for Coral Reef Studies at JCU. Kirsty’s research tackles questions on how best to meet human needs such as food, health and employment, while also supporting long-term marine environmental sustainability. She has a particular interest in small-scale fisheries. Kirsty is the Founder of aKIDemic Life (www.akidemiclife.com) , a resource hub for parents and carers working in academia. In 2019 Kirsty was recognised by Nature Journals as the runner-up in the Inspiring Science Awards, for her research and work on aKIDemic Life.