Connecting Science to Policymakers, Managers, and Citizens

Abstract

Twenty years ago, the creation of a new scientific program, the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), funded by the Packard Foundation, provided the opportunity to integrate-from the outsetresearch, monitoring, and outreach to the public, policymakers, and managers. PISCO's outreach efforts were initially focused primarily on sharing scientific findings with lay audiences, but over time they evolved to a more interactive, multi-directional mode of engagement. Over the next two decades, PISCO science and scientists significantly influenced local, state, federal, and international decisions about many topics, but especially marine protected areas, hypoxia, ocean acidification, fishery management, and marine diseases. PISCO scientists' long-term data and understanding of key ecosystem processes also enabled them to detect anomalies, investigate rapidly, and inform others about novel developments such as hypoxia, acidification, warming, and disease. Especially during a time of dynamic changes in ecosystems, long-term data like PISCO's have proven invaluable. Moreover, PISCO's dual focus on understanding fundamental processes and finding solutions (not just identifying problems) has resulted in rich opportunities to co-create knowledge with citizens and translate that knowledge into action by citizens, managers, and policymakers. PISCO has delivered on its goal to serve society through science.

Evidence for spatiotemporal shift in demersal fisheries management priority areas in the western Mediterranean

“…However, these areas may not constitute a good balance between conservation and socioeconomic impact, neither may be spatially balanced, which means our results only provide information to assist decision makers and should not be regarded as a final solution to a FRA design. In fact, a competent FRA network design should result from an iterative discussion between the scientific community, the fishery sector, and policy makers to enact law that ensure the conservation of fishery important areas while balancing the socioeconomic impact on the fishing sector (Caveen, Polunin, Gray, & Stead 2014; Lubchenco et al 2019).…”

PISCO: Advances Made Through the Formation of a Large-Scale, Long-Term Consortium for Integrated Understanding of Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics

“…Efforts of PISCO scientists leading a working group at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara, California, resulted in landmark findings on marine reserve theory and design (e.g., Carr et al, 2019, in this issue;Lubchenco et al, 2003, and, in this issue). These results were pivotal for the design, implementation, and early evaluation of the 2003 Channel Islands and other California marine networks (Botsford et al, 2014;Lubchenco et al, 2019, in this issue).…”

Failures to disagree are essential for environmental science to effectively influence policy development

“…During this development phase of the threshold concept, the implications for policy were becoming apparent. The irreversibility of consequences from actions was a powerful message that resonated with decision makers (Hughes et al, 2007; Lubchenco et al, 2019; Olsson et al, 2008). The theory gained much attention in scientific high profile publications as well as affecting high level policy making such as the Paris agreement and the Encyclical letter Laudato si’ of the Holy Father Francis on care for our common home (Francis 2015).…”