Effectively Connecting Conservation Paleobiological Research to Environmental Management: Examples from Greater Everglades’ Restoration of Southwest Florida

Abstract

Much of the research accomplished by paleontologists can be categorized as conservation paleobiology. Unfortunately, these works often go unrealized or under-appreciated because the environmental professionals best positioned to use those results are detached from the science, as managers or decision-makers, or are completely unaware of the scientific discipline. Commonly, a research program with management implications is undertaken without briefing the relevant agencies in advance and without their input with respect to research objectives and design. Academics typically work within or among their academic institutions with a predestined pathway toward peer-review publication in scholarly journals. Those papers often go unread by agency professionals, and universities at times of promotion rarely value technical reports. Partnership and collaboration with agencies is essential. Agency professionals have very specific environmental management objectives and priorities, often influenced by resource limitations. Academic scientists should adapt their research programs to accommodate agency research needs and priorities, and be willing to adopt research designs that best achieve agency objectives, even if those agencies are unable to financially support the effort. Often agencies can support research through in-kind match for field and laboratory work, or with research staff assistance. When partnerships are strong, “request for proposals” (RFPs) from state and local governmental agencies can be customized for specific talents found among academics.

University scientists and agency professionals in Southwest Florida have developed an appreciation of conservation paleobiology and a culture of cooperation. Effective steps for generating such a productive relationship include: (1) developing and actively participating in “management collaboratives,” working groups composed of agency professionals, university scientists, and non-governmental organization (NGO) professionals with stewardship commitments to their region’s management and restoration needs; (2) attending and presenting conservation paleobiological work at environmental science and restoration conferences; (3) inviting agency professionals to market and solicit their environmental science priorities and then engaging agency representatives as co-investigators in those studies; and (4) reserving time for professional service for those same agencies and NGOs. Universities can incentivize conservation paleobiological research by valuing technical reports as community-engaged scholarship, particularly if the work results in a management decision or practice that helps the environment. Greater Everglades’ restoration efforts have benefitted greatly from conservation paleobiological approaches because of these team-building efforts. A couple of examples are presented.