PREPRINT - Stakeholder Engagement vs. Social Distancing - How does the Covid-19 Pandemic affect Participatory Research in EU Marine Science Projects?

Abstract

In the realm of marine science, engaging with stakeholders (e.g. industry members, policy-makers, managers, NGOs) is in important method in many EU projects. This engagement has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in two ways. First, social distancing measures now forbid most of the hands-on participatory activities originally envisioned in projects. Second, the restrictions have caused hardships for the stakeholders working in fishing and related industries. To assess the impact of Covid-19 on stakeholder engagement activities in ongoing marine science projects, we posed the following questions: What problems has Covid-19 caused for the workflow and outcomes of current research projects, (ii) how have scientists responsible for stakeholder engagement coped with the situation, and (iii) if alternative stakeholder activities were implemented, how have these been evaluated? Our survey was conducted nearly two months after the onset of Covid-19 lockdowns. It addressed researchers who engage with stakeholders in EU projects, and delivers insights into the practical implications of Covid-19 for stakeholder engagement and the measures taken to tackle this new challenge. The paper specifically highlights the impacts of the pandemic on transdisciplinary research in marine science, outlines current coping strategies in different EU projects, and gives seven practical recommendations on how to maintain meaningful exchange with stakeholders in times of social distancing and lockdowns