Understanding the functions and activities of science-policy interfaces is key to effective coastal and marine decision-making

Coastal Zone Canada 2025 Conference information, including program and abstracts, can be found here

Abstract

Coastal areas and communities, prominent at the land-sea interface in Canada, face numerous challenges, e.g., changes in environmental conditions, pressures on coastal uses and services, and vagaries of policies and politics. Governments at all levels may respond to these issues, but often slowly or inadequately. Why? What impedes the uptake of the large body of available evidence into policy decisions? For over two decades, the interdisciplinary Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program at Dalhousie University has been investigating barriers and enablers affecting the use of information in marine environmental decision-making. Working in collaboration with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations, this research is highlighting factors affecting the often-complex interactions of people, information, and issues at science-policy interfaces. For example, in an initiative to establish a coastal marine protected area, historical legacies of mistrust of government and misinformation influenced the planning processes. In another case, environmental non-governmental organizations filled pivotal roles as boundary organizations facilitating information exchanges among stakeholders. A third case revealed that stakeholder organizations, acting as coordinators, connectors, or information mediators, bridged government, academic, industry, and community groups in a network about marine renewable energy. In other cases, the format of information, e.g., technical reports, briefing notes, and factsheets, influenced knowledge mobilization by different audiences. Based on numerous case studies, this presentation will discuss the functions of science-policy interfaces to show why understanding information pathways can be instrumental in efforts to ensure that evidence is used in a timely manner in decision-making about coastal and marine conditions.

Citation

MacDonald, B. H., Soomai, S. S., & Wells, P. G. (2025). Understanding the functions and activities of science-policy interfaces is key to effective coastal and marine decision-making. Coastal Zone Canada Conference, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 9-11 June 2025.

Related Blog Post

Khan, J., Legault, A., MacDonald, B.H., Manuel, P., Margeson, M., Martinez Calderon, D., Webster, A., & Wells, P.G. (2025, July 30). Strengthening Coastal Resilience and Relationships: Reflections on the 2025 Coastal Zone Canada Conference. EIUI Blog. https://eiui.ca/strengthening-coastal-resilience-and-relationships-reflections-on-the-2025-coastal-zone-canada-conference/