There is broad agreement between spheres of science, management, politics and business that good evidence and analysis should be central to addressing complex environmental problems. There is less agreement on how this should be achieved. There are substantial barriers, mostly imposed by time and human capacity, to incorporating even the most appropriate and well-targeted science into policy development, planning and management decisions.

There are also science ‘supply-side’ constraints in targeting the specific or very broad problems decision-makers face, including recognizing and considering differing interests and organizational goals. A major challenge in addressing the ‘science-policy gap’ is simultaneously managing effective stakeholder engagement and institutional legitimacy, while balancing methodological rigor and meaningful impact of knowledge production and transfer.

The blue economy brings with it several challenges: working in a low knowledge area that usually requires rapid and dynamic decision-making; bringing together different sectors and stakeholders who have not previously worked together and are likely to have different agendas, timeframes and policy expectations. The research will identify forms of engagement, enhance awareness of managing divergent demands and tensions as well as enable knowledge sharing between stakeholders from selected blue economy initiatives. This will assist in enabling models and processes for decision-making and adaptive management that support the objectives of the blue economy and help address current key uncertainties and risk.

The Blue Economy – Sustainability, Innovation, and our Ocean

Kelly Hoareau is Lead Instructor for the Blue Economy MOOC from the University of Seychelles being held from 29th October 2023 for 5 weeks.