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Productivity, pressure, and new perspectives: impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on marine early-career researchers

Abstract

The worldwide disruption caused by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the activities of marine scientists working towards the goals of the UN Ocean Decade. As in other disciplines, marine early-career researchers (ECRs) are essential contributors to the development of novel and innovative science. Based on a survey of 322 of our peers, we show that the pandemic negatively impacted marine ECRs in ways that further exacerbate existing structural challenges such as social isolation, job insecurity, and short-term contracts, competitive funding, and work pressure. Furthermore, we find that the success and wellbeing of marine ECRs depends heavily on networking opportunities, gaining practical experience, collecting data, and producing publications, all of which were disrupted by the pandemic. Our analysis shows that those in the earliest stages of their careers feel most vulnerable to long-term career disadvantage as a result of the pandemic. This paper contributes to the empirical body of work about the impacts of the pandemic on marine science and offers recommendations on how marine ECRs should be supported to achieve the UN Ocean Decade’s goal of producing “the science we need for the ocean we want”.
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Category

Academic article

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Amanda Schadeberg
  • Eleanor Ford
  • Alina M. Wieczorek
  • Louise C. Gammage
  • María López-Acosta
  • Ivana Buselic
  • Timotej Turk Dermastia
  • Marcos Fontela
  • Cristina Galobart
  • Natalia Llopis Monferrer
  • Marek Lubosny
  • Stefania Piarulli
  • Giuseppe Suaria

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Ocean / Climate and Environment
  • University of Western Brittany, Brest
  • Marine Institute
  • Croatia
  • Italy
  • National Research Council
  • Wageningen University & Research
  • Polish Academy of Sciences
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • University of Vigo
  • Spanish National Research Council
  • Swansea University
  • Scottish Association for Marine Science
  • National Institute of Biology
  • University of Cape Town
  • National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.

Year

2022

Published in

ICES Journal of Marine Science

ISSN

1054-3139

Volume

79

Issue

8

Page(s)

2298 - 2310

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository