Dynamics of Information Flow at the Science-Policy Interface for Endangered Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic Salmon

Once an aquatic species is added to Canada’s list of endangered flora and fauna under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), does the best available information make its way into decision-making to promote the recovery of the species? Resource management, including the management of endangered species, can be challenging due to the involvement of […]

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Book Review: Securitizing Marine Protected Areas: Geopolitics, Environmental Justice, and Science by Elizabeth De Santo

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely considered to be the best tool to protect ocean biodiversity. Generally speaking, an MPA is an area of the “ocean set aside for long-term conservation aims” (IUCN, 2017), although many other types of ocean protection fall into this category, including marine reserves, marine sanctuaries, or marine parks, all of […]

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The Ocean at Science-Policy Interfaces: Books EIUI Team Members Are Reading

The ocean is vast, occupying about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and holding 97 percent of its water. These dimensions alone highlight how the ocean dominants Earth. However, size is only one of many factors that position the ocean in critically important roles for the well-being of the planet. Food sources, transportation and communication […]

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New Paper: On the Development of Criteria for Determining the Effectiveness of Technical Working Groups

  Use of scientific information in evidence-based decision-making is critically important in contending with coastal and ocean management concerns. Evidence can reach policy- and decision-makers through a wide variety of channels, or it may not reach them at all due to a host of hurdles that can encumber information pathways. Furthermore, a myriad of information […]

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“Tides of Change” – The ACCESS-Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership Conference, 4-7 June 2024

With the highest tides in the world as a backdrop, the joint Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS) and the Bay of Fund Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) biennial conference was aptly headlined “Tides of Change: Accelerating Conservation and Protection Efforts in Atlantic Canada’s Estuarine and Coastal Waters.” While the macro tides alone are a […]

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Information Science Public Lecture on Open Science

As increasing attention is being paid to implementing Open Science globally, the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program is pleased to co-sponsor the upcoming Information Science Public Lecture on this subject.   Co-sponsored by the Dalhousie University Office of the Vice President-Research and Innovation, the Dalhousie University Libraries, the Faculties of Arts and Social […]

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New Paper: Measuring Engagement with Shark Research in Science, News and Social Media, and Policy: A Bibliometric Analysis

What does research say about the shark species that navigate oceans all over the world? Is it critical to protect them? Does relevant scientific knowledge make its way to policymakers and journalists alike? In a study published on 13 September 2023 in Marine Policy, an internationally renowned journal dealing with marine affairs, we analyzed the […]

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Assessing Research Use in Policy and Decision-Making Contexts: The Importance of Models

The relationships between research and policy and research and practice have been theorized in different ways. Several models have been conceptualized over time, which provide different frameworks for thinking about and understanding the research use process (Nutley, Walter, & Davies, 2007a). These models take several complexities into consideration that forms of research use can take […]

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EIUI Co-Sponsors Panel on the Concept of Stock Assessment and Fisheries Management Decisions

On 8-9 March 2018, the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program co-sponsored a visit by Dr. Jennifer Telesca (Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York) to Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College. At the panel, Dr. Telesca led off with a presentation that drew on her paper “Accounting for Loss in Fish Stocks: A […]

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