What can a half century of research achieve? This question was top of mind at the fiftieth Canadian Ecotoxicity Workshop (previously the Aquatic Toxicity Workshop), sponsored by the University of Waterloo, on 6-9 October 2024 in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. This series of meetings began in the 1970s directly after the formation of the federal government department, […]
Science-Policy Interface
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
EIUI at the 2018 Bay of Fundy Science Workshop – Proceedings Now Available
The Bay of Fundy, and the larger Gulf of Maine, is one of the most diverse ecological ocean and coastal areas globally and home to the world’s highest tides. The Bay of Fundy was the Canadian finalist in the worldwide New7Wonders of Nature contest (2007-2011). Since 1996, the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) has […]
“The Future of Ocean Governance and Capacity Development” Now in Open Access
The International Ocean Institute-Canada has announced that its recently published book The Future of Ocean Governance and Capacity Development: Essays in Honor of Elisabeth Mann Borgese (1918-2002) is now available in open access format. The full book (11 Mb pdf file) and the individual essays can be downloaded at this link. The contributions by EIUI […]
Communication Pathways and Models: Bridging the Gap between Science and Policy
Effective research communication between scientists and policy-makers is becoming an increasingly important subject to consider when tackling some of the world’s most wicked problems. On one hand, scientists must become comfortable with translating their work into information products that can be used beyond scientific circles and understood by laypeople. On the other, policy-makers should attempt […]
An Introduction to the Science-Policy Interface Concept: What, Why, and How
Today, policy-making is often complex; policy-makers must contend with many different stakeholders and their often-conflicting interests. The rise of evidence-based policy-making over the past quarter century has further complicated policy-making, because policy makers must be aware of and are pressured to use the vast array of scientific and other research information available for informing policy. […]
“Drivers of Change in Gulf of Maine Ecosystems”: Highlights of the 2018 RARGOM Annual Science Meeting
The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM), a group that annually sponsors a one-day gathering of marine scientists, science managers, and fisheries managers from around the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy, held its 2018 meeting in Portland, Maine, on 26 October 2018. As in previous years, the EIUI research […]
New Essays on Ocean Governance by EIUI Team Members in Honour of Elizabeth Mann Borgese
The Environmental Information: Use and Influence (EIUI) research team is pleased to announce the contributions by Bertrum MacDonald, Suzuette Soomai, and Peter Wells to the new book, The Future of Ocean Governance and Capacity Development: Essays in Honor of Elisabeth Mann Borgese (1918-2002). Prepared under the editorship of the International Ocean Institute-Canada (IOI-Canada) and published […]