For too long, the ocean and seas, 71% of Earth’s surface, have been under-represented at some of the world’s most influential global environmental-policy processes. That is now changing, helped by a powerful initiative led by 14 world leaders — which this week publishes important findings in Nature. These reports come as the UN, together with many others, is preparing to advocate stronger action. (Researchers, non-governmental organizations and the UN refer to ‘the ocean’ rather than ‘oceans’ to emphasize the connectedness of this global ecosystem.)