PhD defence: Solid numbers in a fluid world - The role of quantification in transformative marine governance

In response to topical problems and opportunities at sea, a radical change in the social, political, and institutional structures of marine governance is necessary. Ocean science is considered vital to this ‘transformation’. Through activities like mapmaking, measuring, or modelling, ocean scientists make the marine environment visible through numbers. Empowered by digital innovations that offer new ways to collect, store, and use data, ocean science is thus concerned with quantification. This type of knowledge is often considered neutral and objective. Yet, quantification is always influenced by social and political considerations, such as decisions over what should and can be measured. This thesis examines the role of quantification in transformative marine governance. By taking stock of research on the transformative potential of digitalization, and through cases on the economic value of the deep sea, ecological models on the impact of Norwegian aquaculture, and a digital replica of European waters, I identify four roles of quantification in marine governance: it provides practical pathways to realize transformative policy objectives, aids collaboration between science and policy through a shared logic, makes complex issues manageable, and separates science from social influences due to the apolitical status of quantification. However, these roles risk reproducing rather than transforming existing structures, such as the political aversion to uncertainty, the social appeal of control, and the institutional authority of scientific knowledge. To ensure quantification effectively aids transformative marine governance, the thesis concludes that transdisciplinary ocean science and changing attitudes towards complexity, uncertainty, and conflict are necessary.