In the February 2018 issue of Scientific American, Olive Heffernan critically examines the growth of large marine reserves across the world, the influence of biodiversity targets on this conservation process, and the importance of science in marine planning. Among the scientists profiled in this article is EIUI team member, Elizabeth De Santo, drawing on her research […]
Public Policy & Decision-Making
“Holding our feet to the fire”: How eNGOs use information and relationships to advance marine conservation
Today, thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), large and small, are found in decision making settings globally. Why are they active in these contexts? Do they fulfill particular roles? Do they affect how information is shaped and used by decision makers? Do they succeed in influencing policy development? Although NGOs have existed for many years, to […]
EIUI at the 9th Canadian Science Policy Conference
Suzuette Soomai, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program, attended the 9th Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) in Ottawa, 1-3 November 2017. Suzuette participated in a panel, “Science for Decision-Making at Fisheries and Oceans Canada: The Past, Present, and Future,” organized by the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The […]
EIUI Team Member Speaks at Calgary Conference on Environmental Contamination and Response
Ian Stewart presented a paper at the 40th AMOP Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response (AMOP), hosted by Environment Canada and Climate Change, 3-5 October 2017, in Calgary. The seminar focused largely on the fate, behaviour, effects and response options to oil spills in marine environments, particularly regarding ice conditions. Over 90 papers, given […]
EIUI Team Member Speaks at the 9th Canadian Science Policy Conference, Ottawa
Suzuette Soomai, Postdoctoral Fellow with the EIUI research program, will participate in a panel organized by the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) at the 2017 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC), 1-3 November 2017, in Ottawa. The panel, “Science for Decision-Making at Fisheries and Oceans Canada: The Past, Present, and Future,” will discuss the […]
EIUI at the 2017 Sustainable Oceans Conference
Collaboration, communication, and creativity – the 2017 Sustainable Oceans Conference encouraged participants to consider these three perspectives when addressing today’s coastal and ocean management challenges. This conference, held in Halifax on 22-23 September 2017, provided six members of the EIUI research program with an opportunity to report about current and ongoing research initiatives. Now in […]
EIUI Participates in the 39th Annual Meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
Suzuette Soomai, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program, attended the 39th annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), 18-22 September 2017 in Montréal, Canada. Over 180 delegates from 11 of the 12 NAFO Contracting Parties attended the meeting. The participants were welcomed to the meeting and to Canada […]
Policy Dialogue and Engagement between NGOs and Governments: Views from the Bay of Fundy
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: Environmental Assessments and Public Consultations
“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 […]
Science Outside the Lab North: Investigating Science and Policy in Canada. Part II: Decision-Making
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 […]