At a time of growing human demand for the use of marine space and its resources (Ehler, 2021; Koehler et al., 2017), Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) has been proposed as a novel process that could foster sustainable marine governance (Pyć, 2019). By 2023, around 126 countries had adopted MSP in some form (IOC-UNESCO, 2024), including […]
Author: Admin
“Connecting Communities to Ocean Science”: The ACCESS-BoFEP Conference, 19-22 May 2026
Researchers, students, practitioners, educators, and community members alike gathered at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, for the 2026 joint Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS) and the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) biennial conference. Held under the theme “Connecting Communities to Ocean Science,” the conference brought together approximately 90 participants for four days of presentations, discussions, posters, […]
Co-Producing Studies on Evidence Use to Achieve SDG 11
In 2015, the member countries of the United Nations adopted Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since then, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have served as an “urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership” (The 17 Goals). These goals “recognize that ending […]
The Relationship between Science Literacy and Information Media
The concept of science literacy is traditionally framed as a knowledge-deficit model. This model theorizes that the reason science is not trusted for decision-making is because people have not received enough information or they do not understand how science works. The model assumes that if people were more informed about science, they would more likely […]
The Transparency and Trust Paradox: More Accessible Knowledge and Weaker Accountability
As scientific evidence has become increasingly more accessible and automated than ever previously, why is it harder to trust the authenticity of research work? Emerging tools in artificial intelligence (AI), open data portals, open science, and preprints have enabled faster, more efficient knowledge access and sharing. At the same time, these advances have created new […]
Open in Form, Opaque in Practice: Analysis of Evidence Transparency in Green Hydrogen Environmental Assessments in Atlantic Canada
In Canada, environmental assessments (EAs) are completed on the promise that the decisions they generate will be grounded in findable and accessible evidence that anyone can scrutinize. Both federal and provincial governments have formally committed to open government and open science initiatives, and environmental assessment legislation emphasizes public access, transparency, and evidence-informed decision-making as core […]
“It’s Alive!”: Reflections from the Living Data Conference
What is living data? That question seemed fitting to explore while nestled high in the Andes Mountains in a city rich with culture that deeply connects its people to the extensive biodiversity that surrounds them. In the last days of October 2025, I anticipated the wonderful opportunity to present my Master’s research at the Living […]
Building Capacity for Decision Making Where Information Matters
How can critically important issues be addressed if evidence to inform decisions fails to reach decision-makers in time or not at all? With overwhelming quantities of information today, coupled with the growing scourge of misinformation and questions about trust in evidence and its sources, many may easily understand that information pathways in decision processes are […]
Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Relationships: Reflections on the 2025 Coastal Zone Canada Conference
Canada is a country defined by its coasts. Spanning over 243,000 kilometers along the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific oceans, the country’s coastline is the longest in the world. Coastal areas have been crucial to marine and human life for millennia. However, in recent decades, these areas have experienced extensive environmental and human pressures that place […]
Reflections from the One Ocean Science Congress, Nice, France, 3-6 June 2025
My first glimpse of the Mediterranean was caught from the tram window as I arrived in the Old Port of Nice. A graduate of Dalhousie University’s Master of Marine Management program, I was on my way to present my master’s research at the One Ocean Science Congress (OOSC)—an event that felt dynamic and expansive like […]