Coastal communities and ecosystems are facing increasing change and uncertainty due to overlapping socio-ecological crises. Global pressures, such as climate change, heighten risks and drive large-scale transformations. As pressures on ocean and coastal spaces intensify, decision-making grows more complex, with existing governance mechanisms sometimes exacerbating tensions and deepening community divisions. Since people are at the heart of ocean and coastal management, governance must evolve to better integrate social and ecological considerations.
This paper outlines an innovative ocean governance approach through a case study of offshore wind in the Illawarra. This interdisciplinary project used social listening to identify key narratives shaping public opinion on offshore wind and developed personas representing diverse community perspectives. These personas were used in community workshops, where participants engaged with them to better understand differing viewpoints, identify shared values, and consider appropriate community benefits.
By promoting empathy and understanding this approach moves beyond division to facilitate constructive dialogue across diverse perspectives. Although based on a local case study of offshore wind, the insights from this study have broader relevance, including for reef managers and marine scientists looking to navigate social complexity and better integrate human dimensions in decision making and the management of contested marine spaces.