DSBS Plan to address Diversity, Inclusion and Equity

The Deep-Sea Biology Society serves to encourage appreciation and study of the wonders of the deep ocean. In our founding charter, in our actions, and in our hearts, we oppose any form of racism or discrimination. Yet we have a long way to go to ensure that our membership and our field of study are representative of the world’s population.

Over the last week, motivated by recent events in the USA and elsewhere, the Trustees of the Society identified the following actions to increase our efforts addressing issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity:

  • Amend the Society constitution to include a Code of Conduct that explicitly prohibits discrimination in the Society and expands our commitment to inclusion and equity.
  • Create a Diversity Fund aimed at generating opportunities to increase representation of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in the field of Deep-Sea Biology.
  • Create a new Diversity Officer position in the Society Board of Trustees to tackle diversity, equity and inclusivity issues in the Society and the wider field of Deep-Sea Biology.

We invite our members and the broader deep-sea community to contribute to these efforts by:

  • Communicating your ideas and comments about these issues at diversity@dsbsoc.org. In particular, we want to encourage those of you that self-identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour to share your thoughts about what we, from the Society, can do to better serve you.
  • Donating money to kickstart the society Diversity Fund at https://dsbsoc.wildapricot.org/Donate.
  • Postulating yourselves or others for the Diversity Officer role (details will be made available in the coming weeks).
  • Support these initiatives and the goals of the Society by becoming a member if you are not one already, or renew your membership if it is expired, at https://dsbsoc.wildapricot.org/.

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