Assistant Professor Florida State University, Florida, United States
Fisheries and marine conservation have complex histories in terms of how different human communities have been included or excluded from science and management. In North America, objectives in these realms have often been dictated by a small subset of society, which thereby shape how ecological systems are studied, modeled, and managed. As a result, voices of place-based and Indigenous communities have historically been marginalized along with their values, governance principles, and knowledge systems. Here, we provide examples from nearshore marine ecosystems in the Pacific northwest of how integrating diverse perspectives (e.g., Indigenous communities and governments, other fishing organizations), can improve not only management advice, but also our understanding of how ecological systems function. We present four examples, and historical context, where diversification of who contributes to, and participates in, science and management can improve ecological models and their use in fisheries and marine conservation. These examples include models of governance structures, spatial complexity of fished populations, social-cultural values, and dynamics when ecologically and culturally important predator and prey are simultaneously recovering. We show how collaborative processes that integrate such dynamics into ecological models can generate outcomes that are more efficient, equitable, ecologically sound, and just.
