Earth’s coastal and ocean ecosystems face many serious problems as human populations continue to grow and demand for natural resources intensifies in the 21st century. To find and adopt timely solutions, information must be managed, made accessible, and communicated to managers, practitioners, citizens, and policy and decision-makers in government, industry, and non-profit sectors.
In a time of rapid technological advancements, we are examining the dissemination, awareness of, access to, and use and influence of information in public policy and decision-making processes. Understanding how information flows, or does not flow, can lead to insights and recommendations to maximize the use and influence of information in policy and decision-making.
Our emphasis is placed on understanding the complex science-policy interface(s): the informational crossroads between research and policy. Particularly, we are exploring how information produced in the field, e.g., by scientists or resource managers, is discovered and used by policy and decision-makers.