Science Policy in Person: Profiles of the ASLO Public Policy Committee (Part 1 of 2)

Science cannot be carried out in a vacuum. As aquatic scientists, much of our research has important implications for natural resources and processes that affect human society. Our members' research on marine ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, and countless other topics offer a wealth of information that could underpin national and global policies. Yet without formal training in science communication and limited professional interaction with non-scientists, many ASLO members may be unsure how to make connections with policymakers, and our science is often missing from discussions of resource management and regulatory actions. In this first of a two-part feature, members of ASLO's Public Policy Committee share their own experiences working with decision-makers and the lay public at multiple levels, from advising their city council to delivering briefings for the United Nations. As robust science becomes ever more critical to environmental and energy policies around the world, we hope these profiles inspire ASLO members to embark on their own science policy collaborations! I'm a multifaceted researcher, interested in many different topics, regarding the application of research to better understand oceans and their sustainability when used by humans. Hence, I usually investigate on integrative assessment of coastal and estuarine waters, developing indicators and assessment methods for Integrated Coastal Zone Management and European Directives (including the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and Marine Spatial Planning. I have investigated on habitat mapping and habitat suitability, ecosystem services valuation, marine and estuarine monitoring (water, sediment, biomonitors), marine resources exploitation and management, or biological oceanography. I have worked with multiple ecosystem components, including phytoplankton, macroalgae, seagrasses, macroinvertebrates, and fishes. Angel Borja communicates his research on marine resources directly to stakeholders and developed a “benthic assessment tool” for policymakers to understand the conservation status of different areas. When I finished my Ph.D., I started to work in a small laboratory (then it was AZTI), dedicated to applied marine research. I was interested in knowing more on some marine resources, which were exploited in our coasts, with little economic value, but with a high social and cultural importance. There was a need to determine better management measures, to make the exploitation of these resources sustainable, since until then the knowledge was absent. These resources were macroalgae (Rhodophyta, such as Gelidium corneum), bivalves (clams, cockles), and crustaceans (velvet swimming crab, goose barnacle). So, my initial motivation was an increase of knowledge for better management. From the very beginning in my career, I thought that knowledge should be transmitted to fishermen, policy-makers and managers, in a way that they can understand to facilitate management measures. Hence, I started to publish results as “scientific reports” but in a Layman's language, which were distributed to those stakeholders. With the years, the communication has become more sophisticated and now we have multiple channels of communication (Twitter, YouTube, etc.). Nowadays, my main interests are related to the development of suitable and simple tools to assess the status of marine waters in a way that the society can understand easily. In Europe, this is related with the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Probably my greatest success is the development of a benthic assessment tool (AZTI's Marine Biotic Index: AMBI), which is used worldwide, because policy makers find it easy to understand and scientists find it easy to show stakeholders the status of an area using it. In turn, my biggest frustration is related to the involvement of policy makers in the implementation of some legislation, because of the lack of coordination at national and international levels. I think that you need to determine first your audience and then look to the best media to transmit your message. In any case, open data and open access publication is an important way to improve the use of science, making it useful for end-users and policy-makers. I recommend also reading these two papers, which we have recently published: Borja, A., and others. 2016. Bridging the gap between policy and science in assessing the health status of marine ecosystems. Front. Mar. Sci. 3. doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00175. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2016.00175/abstract Mea, M., A. Newton, M. Uyarra, C. Alonso, and A. Borja. 2016. From science to policy and society: Enhancing the effectiveness of communication. Front. Mar. Sci. 3. doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00168. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2016.00168/abstract I'm an assistant professor in the Environmental Science and Policy department at George Mason University. I'm a marine microbial ecologist and my research focuses on studying symbiotic and free-living microorganisms in the ocean. I investigate how communities of microorganisms change in response to environmental disturbances and the role that these microbes play in maintaining and/or destabilizing organismal and ecosystem health. My research has included studies of coral microbiomes in Hawaii—the biogeography and specificity of coral-microbe associations and how these microbiomes respond to temperature stress. I've also examined the transmission and nutritional contribution of bacterial symbionts in deep-sea molluscs. My current research focuses on the impacts of hydrocarbons and chemical dispersants on the structure and function of deep-sea coral and artificial reef biofilm microbiomes. I'm also interested in science communication and the intersection of science and policy. I was motivated to get involved with science policy after volunteering with a sea turtle conservation program in Costa Rica. Here, I was directly exposed to the complexities of implementing science-based conservation policy. Although this program was one of the most established of its kind, I observed that its effectiveness was constantly being challenged. It became clear to me that science alone could not effectively conserve sea turtles or benefit the community as a whole. This experience inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. that would confront similar issues and ultimately, to apply for a fellowship that would enable me to understand the synergistic approach that legislators must take to incorporate multiple stakeholders in their policies. Jennifer Salerno with Knauss Policy Fellowship sponsor Representative Lois Capps (D-CA). My first experience working with decision-makers occurred as a graduate student at the University of Hawaii. I was part of a research partnership between my university and the State and Federal co-trustees of what was to become the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Our goal was to implement science-based management into the Monument. As a participant, I witnessed the many challenges and successes of this developing partnership. As a group, we increased communication and understanding amongst stakeholders, identified scientific research needs of the Monument, streamlined permitting processes between agencies, expanded education and outreach activities, and addressed the concerns of the Native Hawaiian community. On an individual level, I gained significantly from this experience. I regularly met with resource managers to discuss my research findings and the benefits of conducting research in the Monument and substantially increased my ability to convey science to a non-science audience. Overall, this experience was very encouraging because it illustrated that significant progress could be made when scientists, resource managers, and policy-makers opened up their lines of communication and worked together toward a common goal. To learn more of the policy side of things, I pursued a NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. As a 2011–2012 NOAA Sea Grant Legislative Fellow in the office of Congresswoman Lois Capps, I advised the Representative on local and national ocean policy issues ranging from the implementation of catch shares in her district to the Administration's National Ocean Policy. A core component of my responsibilities included serving as a liaison between the Congresswoman and a diversity of stakeholders including constituents, the fishing community, scientists, private and non-profit organizations, state and federal agencies, and other members of Congress and their staff. I worked closely with various stakeholder groups to advance legislation and to identify and develop new legislative initiatives and strategies related to marine conservation. I also spent a significant amount of my time researching, monitoring, and making official recommendations on policies, laws, and regulations that impacted species protected under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. As a professor, I've found a fitting home in the Environmental Science and Policy department at George Mason University. Here, I am able to pursue my research interests at the interface of science and marine policy. I actively support and participate in science that informs effective marine legislation and policy. I also try to stay engaged in marine policy work. Last fall, I participated in the Geological Society of America's Geosciences Congressional Visits Day on Capitol Hill. In June of 2016, I organized and led a discussion panel on bridging science and policy at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu, HI. I'm also currently serving on the ASLO public policy committee. Anything and everything related to science, but particularly our oceans and the environment—e.g., funding for scientific research, marine spatial planning, endangered species, aquaculture, marine protected areas, coral reef conservation, habitat loss, air toxics emissions standards—you name it. I do my homework. I look at the current state of science for a topic. I research past and present policies—what's worked? What hasn't? What have others done? What haven't we tried yet? I take a careful look at which stakeholders are involved and how each group will be affected by the policy decision in consideration. I try to identify the communication gap between scientists and policy-makers and make a plan to effectively bridge that gap from both sides. I think my greatest success, by far, was the work I was able to accomplish while serving under Congresswoman Lois Capps. She is a champion of using science to inform effective policy—especially when it comes to our oceans and coasts—and I had her full support during my time as a legislative fellow. Second to that, would be when I think I finally convinced resource managers to understand why monitoring things that people can't even see (i.e., bacteria) are so important to the health of corals and managing reef ecosystems. In terms of frustration? Scientists and policymakers speak different languages, work on different timelines, and are often motivated by different things, but once both partners understand and overcome these differences, a lot of meaningful progress can be made. Go for it. It is so important. Becoming involved in policy does not mean that you have to advocate on behalf of a cause (if you aren't comfortable with that). You are there to be a resource and to provide scientific information to people who are making very important decisions with significant consequences. Think about the fact that many of these decisions are being made without incorporating the science because decision-makers may not have access to it. Let that be your motivation. Reach out to non-profit organizations—they do a great job of bridging the divide between scientists and policy-makers. They are experts at translating science into a form that's useful to policymakers and will help guide you. It all starts with communication—whether it's giving a presentation in your local community or at a briefing on Capitol Hill, get out there and talk about your research. I work on long-term environment change using lake sediment analyses. Much of my research focuses on contrasting the effects of human activities with natural environmental changes. Major research topics include climate change, water quality issues, the effects of the petroleum and mining industries, contaminant transport, and issues related to Arctic environments. John Smol presents at the Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa in November 2016. Much of my research hinges on environmental policy, as well as overall scientific policy. I suppose I initially got involved with policy mainly with media requests who would contact me to talk about my lab's work, which led to politicians and policy makers taking notice and then contacting me for advice, committees, and so forth. I am happy to engage as, for the most part, tax payers pay for my research, and they have a right to know what we are doing and why it is important. I have also argued that I am sometimes surprised that researchers get the funding we do (even though I agree it is almost always inadequate), given the generally poor job we do with information transfer to politicians, policy makers and the public-at-large. By engaging the public and others, we can explain how their tax dollars were spent and why it was a good investment. When asked by the media, local schools, clubs, or others from the public-at-large to visit and talk about our work, we should do it! We are all busy, but this is an important part of the overall process. About 10 years ago I opted to jump tracks and become an outreach scientist. I am currently Associate Director of Education and Outreach for the largest institute at the University of Colorado, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), which houses about 750 people. CIRES is well known for its cutting edge research on a variety of topics. Our Outreach group makes the connection between the research produced by our scientists and the public through development of curriculum and teacher professional development, public lectures and other informational pathways. Hence, we become knowledgeable on a large range of scientific topics, and we have the expertise to translate the research into terms that make it easier for the layperson to understand. I followed a circuitous pathway to get involved in science policy. I became very active in local school district politics and decided to run for the Board of Education of the Boulder Valley School District in response to school closures and the repercussions on my children's elementary school. Through my eight-year tenure, I became the voice for strong science education, and I was a proponent of better community engagement. When my term on the School Board ended, I decided to apply for a position on the city's Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB). At that point, I was well known at the local level, and I was appointed by the City Council to serve on the WRAB, in part due to my collaborative efforts on the School Board, as well as due to my scientific background in water. The role of the WRAB is to serve as the liaison between the City Council and the citizens of Boulder and to help guide the City Council on issues of policy related to the water, wastewater and stormwater utilities. Some of the issues we have focused on are: FEMA floodplain map development (15 waterways run through Boulder which puts it as the #1 flash flood risk in the state of Colorado), flood mitigation studies and recommendations (critical after the devastating Great Flood of 2013), EPA discharge standards of nutrients in wastewater, capital improvement of infrastructure (WRAB oversees the largest budget of the city) and setting billing rates of the three utilities. Lesley Smith, a member of the Water Resources Advisory Board for the city of Boulder, CO, discussing the approval of the Bear Creek Flood Mitigation Plan. As a scientist in a policy-maker role, I have been recognized for my ability to analyze complex issues, ask good questions of staff and my colleagues and help guide the boards on which I've served to a reasonable resolution. These are skills that are inherent in our training and our conduct as scientists. I firmly believe that more scientists should get involved in science policy roles because we possess the skills to help resolve the issues that impact our communities and society. My advice is to start small, and as you feel more comfortable in your role, then take the next step to a larger and more impactful role. Society needs us to engage! I am a Professor of Ecotoxicology at the University of Exeter in the UK and I study marine pollution. This involves working out how and why different kinds of pollutants reach the oceans and what effects they have on individual animals and on marine ecology more generally. We try to identify which marine animals are most vulnerable to different kinds of contamination, for example those living on the ocean floor or swimming in surface waters, and work to help regulators devise better ways of keeping the oceans clean. Because of this, our work is directly relevant to policy makers and professionals involved with environmental protection. Tamara Galloway presents at the 2016 United Nations panel about banning microbeads in cosmetics to discuss microplastic pollution in marine environments. I was interested to know why it can take so long for politicians to respond to scientific results, especially when it shows evidence of avoidable harm to the environment, so I applied for a place on the UK Royal Society's “Week in Parliament” scheme. This provides funding to allow scientists to spend a week in London shadowing a member of parliament, to see how the actual process of government works and how decisions are made. I was paired with my local MP, Ben Bradshaw and had a great experience, sitting in on select committee hearings and Prime Minister's Question Time in the UK House of Commons. Since then, I have got a lot more involved in policy-making. I got the chance to contribute to official documents written by the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST notes), on both emerging environmental threats and microplastics as marine pollutants. I was also called to speak at a Select Committee hearing in June 2016 (scary!) to consider the evidence for banning microbeads in cosmetics because of the marine pollution they cause. The end result is that the select committee has actually announced that microbeads will be banned from all cosmetics and personal care products in the UK form 2017, which is a bit of a result. The pinnacle for me was being invited to talk at the United Nations in New York this June, addressing their Open Consultation on the Laws of the Oceans to tell them about my research. Everyone was so enthusiastic about reducing plastic pollution and I felt really proud to have had that opportunity. If you are interested in finding out more about science and policy, then get some experience. Many organizations offer knowledge exchange fellowships or paid internships. It's also helpful to have some idea of science communication and how to explain complex issues in a simple way. Here you can find a link to the official UN report for the plastic litter meeting session together with some nice photos: http://www.iisd.ca/oceans/icp17/14jun.html. Britta Voss, ASLO Science Communication Intern; brittamv@gmail.com