Lessons from bright-spots for advancing knowledge exchange at the interface of marine science and policy

Evidence-informed decision-making is in increasing demand given growing pressures on marine environments. A way to facilitate this is by knowledge exchange among marine scientists and decision-makers. While many barriers are reported in the literature, there are also examples whereby research has successfully informed marine decision-making (i.e., 'bright-spots'). Here, we identify and analyze 25 bright-spots from a wide range of marine fields, contexts, and locations to provide insights into how to improve knowledge exchange at the interface of marine science and policy. Through qualitative surveys we investigate what initiated the bright-spots, their goals, and approaches to knowledge exchange. We also seek to identify what outcomes/impacts have been achieved, the enablers of success, and what lessons can be learnt to guide future knowledge exchange efforts. Results show that a diversity of approaches were used for knowledge exchange, from consultative engagement to genuine knowledge co-production. We show that diverse successes at the interface of marine science and policy are achievable and include impacts on policy, people, and governance. Such successes were enabled by factors related to the actors, processes, support, context, and timing. For example, the importance of involving diverse actors and managing positive relationships is a key lesson for success. However, enabling routine success will require: 1) transforming the ways in which we train scientists to include a greater focus on interpersonal skills, 2) institutionalizing and supporting knowledge exchange activities in organizational agendas, 3) conceptualizing and implementing broader research impact metrics, and 4) transforming funding mechanisms to focus on need-based interventions, impact planning, and an acknowledgement of the required time and effort that underpin knowledge exchange activities

Can CO2 enrichment modify the effect of water and high light stress on biomass allocation and relative growth rate of cork oak seedlings?

To test whether the impact of an enriched-CO2 environment on the growth and biomass allocation of first-season Quercus suber L. seedlings can modify the drought response under shade or sun conditions, seedlings were grown in pots at two CO2 concentrations x two watering regimes x two irradiances. Compared to CO2, light and water treatment had greater effects on all morphological traits measured (height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, biomass fractions). Cork oak showed particularly large increases in biomass in response to elevated CO2 under low-watered (W-) and high-illuminated conditions (L+). Allocation shifted from shoot to root under increasing irradiance (L+), but was not affected by CO2. Changes in allocation related to water limitation were only modest, and changed over time. Relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) were significantly greatest in the L+/W+ treatment for both CO2 concentrations. Changes in RGR were mainly due to NAR. Growth responses to increased light, water or CO2 were strongest with light, medium with water availability and smallest for CO2, in terms of RGR. The rise in NAR for light and water treatments was counterbalanced by a decrease in SLA (specific leaf area) and LMF (leaf mass fraction). Results suggest that elevated CO2 caused cork oak seedlings to improve their performance in dry and high light environments to a greater extent than in well-irrigated and low light ones, thus ameliorating the effects of soil water stress and high light loads on growth