This course focuses on the interface between science and policy in the management, sustainable use, and conservation of ocean ecosystems and resources. The framework for understanding this nexus will include an overview of: (i) the ecological and oceanographic processes that structure marine ecosystems and affect the delivery of societal benefits from the oceans; and (ii) the roles of relevant governance systems, institutions, and actors in ocean policymaking, with a particular emphasis on the role of science and scientists in decision-making. The course will introduce best practices and emerging issues, and will explore a portfolio of ecosystem-based tools for ocean planning, management, assessment, and decision-making. Emphasis will be placed throughout on understanding the drivers, impacts and implications of accelerating global change, including those related to intensifying and shifting human uses and anthropogenic climate change.