Welcome to Year 2 of the Ocean Decade! In this first episode of 2022, Taylor focuses on the role of island nations, or Large Ocean States, during the Ocean Decade; how can the ~ 175,000 islands on Earth home to 600 million plus people guide how we think about diversity, equity, science, traditional knowledge, and sustainable development over the next 9 years? Joined by experts guests Dr. Austin Shelton from University of Guam and Guam Sea Grant and Kate Brown, the Executive Director of Global Island Partnership, this episode dives into the contributions island nations are already making to the Ocean Decade, and how these unique ecosystems and peoples can continue to shape the Decade.