title: A case history of the science and management collaboration in understanding hypoxia events in Long Bay, South Carolina, USA.
abstract: Communication of knowledge between the scientific and management communities is a difficult process complicated by the distinctive nature of professional career goals of scientists and decision-makers. This article provides a case history highlighting a collaboration between the science and management communities that resulted from a response to a 2004 hypoxia, or low dissolved oxygen, event in Long Bay, off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A working group of scientists and decision-makers was established at the time of the event and has continued to interact to develop a firm understanding of the drivers responsible for hypoxia formation in Long Bay. Several factors were found to be important to ensure that these collaborative efforts were productive: (1) genuine interest in collaboratively working across disciplines to examine a problem; (2) commitment by agency leadership, decision-makers, and researchers to create successful communication mechanisms; (3) respect for each others' perspectives and an understanding how science and management are performed and that they are not mutually exclusive; (4) networking among researchers and decision-makers to ensure appropriate team members are involved in the process; (5) use of decision-maker input in the formulation of research and monitoring projects; and (6) commitment of resources for facilitation to ensure that researchers and decision-makers are communicating effectively.
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, Charleston, SC, 29401, USA. denise.sanger@scseagrant.org
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sanger
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Libes
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Voulgaris
authors.forename: Braxton
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shuford
authors.forename: Dwayne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koepfler
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D012106:Research; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013022:South Carolina; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen