Science and scale mismatch: Horizontal and vertical information sharing in the Puget Sound polycentric governance system

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Environmental governance in complex social-ecological systems involves multiple actors and institutions that interact across scales. Where hierarchical authority to command is lacking, actors may rely on resource sharing to steer actions across the landscape and reduce scale mismatch. An important resource for such cross-scale steering is scientific information. This study examines how actors in local collaborative organizations share and use scientific information across multiple parts of a polycentric governance system. Interviews from efforts in the Puget Sound, USA, to incorporate scientific information across scales reveal patterns in horizontal and vertical information sharing, the role of knowledge brokers, and scale mismatches in spatial scale and theory vs applied research. Results indicate collaborative group members frequently access scientific findings horizontally through their networks of contacts and conference attendance, as well as through document searches for journal articles and government reports. Vertical transmission relies more on knowledge brokers and guidance documents. The use of scientific findings by local collaborative organizations depends on the biophysical and political context, and there is often tension between scientific rigor and local applicability.