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Day 4: Ways Ahead • Theme: Governing Across Scales

Toward a sustainability-science knowledge-network on marine-ecosystems: achieving innovative, transdisciplinary stewardship across multiple scales

Peter Fox, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, member of SCCID (ICSU), USA; Oran Young, University California Santa Barbara, IHDP, USA; Alida Bundy, Department of Fisheries an Oceans, Canada; Moeniba Issacs, University of Western Cape, South Africa; Marion Glaser, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Germany

Session content:
This session will explore the development of problem-driven, multi-stakeholder, information-rich networks and related mechanisms to improve the links among knowledge, understanding, and action in managing marine ecosystems in which anthropogenic forces have become major determinants of system dynamics.

Despite the growth of knowledge about marine systems, intensive fishing, pollution, and habitat destruction are leading to severe degradation of these systems. Emerging threats in this realm involve the impacts of global change in such forms as sea level rise, temperature increases, and ocean acidification. Human actions are major drivers of these developments; human well-being is at risk from their impacts.

Needed to improve knowledge-understanding-action links are new forms of collaboration designed to facilitate ongoing interaction among a number of communities in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. This collaboration must (i) entrain natural scientists interested in the dynamics of marine systems, social scientists concerned with governance, members of the policy community responsible for administering marine regimes, and representatives of human communities affected by changes in marine systems and (ii) create ongoing networks at various scales linking individuals dedicated to improving knowledge-understanding-action links.

This session will explore best practices in the establishment and operation of knowledge networks for marine stewardship and sustainability. It will identify major obstacles to progress and explore the role that new developments in informatics can play in ensuring the integration of all relevant forms of knowledge through the development of collaboratories.