“Back off, man, I'm a scientist!” When marine conservation science meets policy

Abstract

There is often a basic tension at the boundary between science and policy – the former seeks unbiased, objective descriptions of reality, while the latter must incorporate various factors in its development, including values, ideologies, economics, biases, and emotions. Problems may arise if, and when, marine scientists who enter the policy arena fail to understand these differing priorities, and we describe some common pitfalls. Various strategies are presented for marine conservation scientists to consider in order to avoid or minimize misunderstandings, especially with the media. Conflict of interest issues and public perception of bias are also addressed, as is misuse of research results and whether scientists have an obligation to correct misrepresentation of their research. Finally, we consider how marine scientists should address the inherent uncertainty in their results when those results are used to develop policy, including the importance of incorporating the Precautionary Principle when making science-based policy.