As January 2021 marks the start of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UNDOS), research institutions and researchers worldwide are cooperating in an effort to advance ocean science. UNDOS presents the following societal outcomes in its vision for the “ocean we want”: a clean ocean, a healthy and resilient ocean, a productive ocean, a predictable ocean, a safe ocean, an accessible ocean, and an inspiring and engaging ocean. A “transformative” approach to ocean science will be needed to realize this vision.