Essay: The roles of science in U.S. marine policy: Some regional applications

Abstract

In the United States, the President, Congress, federal and state courts, state governors, state legislatures, coastal local governments, ports, and federal and state marine, environmental, and resource agencies all play important roles in establishing and implementing marine policy. The roles science plays in marine policymaking varies tremendously both with the particular issue and the institution making the policy decisions. While the goal of making marine policymaking more scientific deserves support, there are limits to how scientific marine policymaking can become because the roles of scientists and policymakers are different. Both scientists and marine policymakers should bear those differences in mind as they proceed with the important task of improving the management of the nation's and the world's marine resources. Regional research plans prepared under the Mitchell bill provide marine scientists with an opportunity to coordinate regional marine research in policy‐relevant ways.