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

EL HIERRO_Q1

This dataset contains s set of face-to-face interviews that were performed using a questionnaire (Q1) and conducted by a team composed of sociologists and anthropologists. This main goal was to evaluate the socio-economic recovery in La Restinga after the underwater eruption, which occurred in October 2011.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

El HIERRO_Q2

This dataset contains a set of interviews performed in La Restinga (El Hierro, Canary Islands) to analyze the recovery of small-scale fishing activity in the area affected by the volcano eruption that occurred in October 2021.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

EL HIERRO_Q3

This dataset contains a set of interviews carried out to analyze seafood consumption patterns and informal food supply exchange networks in 2019 in La Restinga (El Hierro), in the framework of different research activities focused on the socio-economic recovery in La Restinga, after the underwater eruption occurred in October 2021.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

History matters : societal acceptance of deep-sea mining and incipient conflicts in Papua New Guinea

New marine industries that develop and grow in response to the changing demand for their products have the potential to exert pressure on fragile marine environments. These emerging industries can benefit local communities but equally can have negative environmental and socio-cultural impacts. The development of new and emerging industries, like deep seabed mining (DSM), requires the acceptance and involvement of local communities. Yet, the history of marine exploitation is imbued with conflicts between industries and local communities. This paper presents a DSM case study in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to stimulate debate around the potential for conflict in the pursuit of resource extraction from the deep sea and the social and environmental harm that these extractions can cause. We do so by first presenting a timeline of local and extra-local events and enabling conditions that form the development background for the DSM Solwara 1 project in PNG. We then undertake a media narrative analysis to consider the contribution of aspects of social acceptability to this highly complex and multi-scale conflict. We find that the lack of (or a decrease in) social acceptability contributed to the conflict situation and ultimately the demise of the Solwara 1 project. Extra-locally, the initial development was positively framed around solutions for decarbonisation using new technology. Over time, actions by international NGOs, financial issues related to foreign companies, and asymmetry in the power balance between the Pacific Island nation and global businesses played a role in growing negative perceptions of acceptability. Historical experiences with prior environmental mining disasters, together with sea tenure governance challenges, and a lack of community and stakeholder acceptance also contributed to the demise of the project. Untangling and debating these complex interactions provides context and reasons for the tension between the lack of societal acceptance at a local scale and the perceived need for DSM products in the global North for innovative technologies and decarbonising societies. Better understanding these interactions and tensions can help emerging industries navigate a future blue economy

El impacto de la pesca recreativa en las reservas marinas: La Reserva Marina de Punta de La Restinga – Mar de Las Calmas (El Hierro, Islas Canarias) como caso de estudio

La Reserva Marina de Punta de La Restinga – Mar de Las Calmas, creada en 1996 como zona de protección de interés pesquero con el fin principal de apoyar a los pescadores profesionales de bajura para mantener su actividad y forma de vida, consta de tres niveles de protección diferentes: la reserva integral (máxima protección), las zonas de usos restringidos (nivel medio) y las zonas de usos tradicionales (ver mapa de zonación), donde, entre otros usos, se permite la pesca recreativa desde tierra. Esta actividad puede entrar en conflicto con la pesquería profesional al tener como objetivo los mismos recursos; de ahí que sea objeto del presente estudio. La obtención de datos se realizó con entrevistadores-muestreadores durante la mayor parte del mes de agosto de los años 2006 a 2008, estableciendo un esquema de muestreo por sectores de la costa y en turnos de mañana, tarde y noche. Se realizaron entrevistas a los pescadores para determinar el perfil del pescador, el tiempo de pesca, características del método de pesca, etc., muestreando finalmente la captura (especies, nº ejemplares, tallas)