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Enhancing socio-ecological resilience in coastal regions through collaborative science, knowledge exchange and social networks: a case study of the Deal Island Peninsula, USA

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Abstract

Collaborative science brings together diverse stakeholders to share knowledge and form networks that in turn can be foundational to policies and practices to increase socio-ecological resilience. In this article, we present results from a collaborative science project that employed collaborative learning methods to develop a network of local, regional, state and academic stakeholders. These stakeholders had little social interaction prior to the project and represented a diversity of views, positions and responsibilities. They shared in common a concern for the effects of climate change on a coastal socio-ecological system and the desire to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance resilience. Through ethnographic and survey methods, we found that collaborative science and learning promoted the exchange of cultural and environmental knowledge and expertise among individuals who previously had no sustained interaction. Stakeholders perceived these exchanges as worthwhile in that they allowed individuals to express viewpoints and share knowledge and expertise, which was seen to have the potential to increase socio-ecological resilience. Our results suggest that social networks can emerge from collaborative science and learning projects and can become formally organized and help foster opportunities to enhance socio-ecological resilience.

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Notes

  1. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources’ Maryland Coastal Atlas provides detailed maps indicating shoreline erosion via shoreline change between 1841 and 1999. http://gisapps.dnr.state.md.us/coastalatlas/iMap-master/basicviewer/index.html.

  2. The ICRA was funded by Maryland Sea Grant (SA72581450-N).

  3. This research is funded by the NOAA Coastal and Ocean Climate Adaptations Program (COCA) (NA17OAR4310248).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Estuarine Research Reserve Science Collaborative Program (Grant Number: 018245-001). In addition, we would like to thank project stakeholders for the time they graciously offered to be a part of this collaboration.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Michael Paolisso & Katherine J. Johnson

  2. Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Christina Prell

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Brian Needelman

  4. Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Ibraheem M. P. Khan

  5. Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences (IVEM), Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen (ESRIG), University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Klaus Hubacek

  6. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Schlossplatz 1, 2361, Laxenburg, Austria

    Klaus Hubacek

Authors
  1. Michael Paolisso
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  2. Christina Prell
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  3. Katherine J. Johnson
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  4. Brian Needelman
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  5. Ibraheem M. P. Khan
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  6. Klaus Hubacek
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Paolisso.

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Paolisso, M., Prell, C., Johnson, K.J. et al. Enhancing socio-ecological resilience in coastal regions through collaborative science, knowledge exchange and social networks: a case study of the Deal Island Peninsula, USA. Socio Ecol Pract Res 1, 109–123 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00010-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00010-w

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