In a recent book chapter in Policy Work in Canada: Professional Practices and Analytical Capacities Bryan Evans and Adam Wellstead explored the working relationship of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government staff in a policy- and decision-making context (Evans & Wellstead, 2017). In my experience as vice-chair of the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP), this […]
“Current Literature” is a recurring feature highlighting recent publications of interest on the science-policy interface. Despite the fact that Canada has had a formal environmental assessment (EA) process since the 1970s, it remains highly criticized by academics and practitioners alike (MacKinnon, 2017). Currently, the federal government is undertaking a review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment […]
As noted in Part I, along with 11 other Canadian graduate students, I was given the opportunity to attend the second science-policy workshop Science Outside the Lab North (SOtL) in Ottawa and Montreal, earlier this spring. In this post, I outline some of the key themes of the workshop. Not surprisingly, with such a diverse […]
Recently, I experienced a week I will not soon forget. Along with 11 other graduate students, I was given the opportunity to attend the science-policy workshop Science Outside the Lab North (SOtL) in Ottawa and Montreal. Originating as a Washington D.C.-based program, Matthew Harsh and Eric Kennedy brought SOtL to Canada in 2016, and this […]
What does the ocean mean to residents of coastal communities? What information informs their views about the ocean? How do these views relate to oceanographic and coastal data? How can citizens’ views about their connections to the ocean inform public policy? These questions underlie a research project being conducted by Simon Ryder-Burbidge, a graduate student […]
EIUI team member Elizabeth De Santo has published a new paper on her research about the role of evidence in marine planning, entitled “California dreaming: Challenges posed by transposing science-based marine protected area planning processes in different political contexts.” This paper critically assesses the role of evidence in the development of a network of Marine […]
In April 2017, the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP), a partner organization of the Environmental Information: Use and Influence (EIUI) Research Program, released the Proceedings of its last biennial science workshop that was held in Fredericton, New Brunswick on 9-11 June 2016. The Proceedings, entitled Fundy in Flux: Challenges for Science, Policy and Society, […]
The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC) meeting was held in Portland, Maine, 7-8 June. Peter Wells, a long-time Council Working Group member and EIUI co-lead, attended to represent the EIUI Research Program (a long supporter of the Council’s work); the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP), an NGO member of Council; […]
EIUI, in collaboration with the Ocean Frontier Institute, will host a seminar on the International Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #14 — “Life below Water” on 25 May 2017. Roland Cormier, Guest Scientist, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Institute for Coastal Research, Germany (formerly with the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the […]
On brief reflection, most people will agree the oceans are complex environments that affect virtually every facet of human society. However, full appreciation of the importance of the oceans for life on this planet can only be achieved by applying the perspectives of the entire spectrum of academic disciplines as well as the views of […]