AUTHOR=Johri Shaili , Carnevale Maria , Porter Lindsay , Zivian Anna , Kourantidou Melina , Meyer Erin L. , Seevers Jessica , Skubel Rachel A. 

TITLE=Pathways to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Marine Science and Conservation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.696180

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.696180

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Marine conservation sciences have traditionally been, and remain, non-diverse work environments with many barriers to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). These barriers disproportionately affect entry of early career scientists and practitioners and limit the success of marine conservation professionals from under-represented, marginalized, and overburdened groups. These groups specifically include women, LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). However, the issues also arise from the global North/South and East/West divide with under-representation of scientists from the South and East in the global marine conservation and science arena. Persisting inequities in conservation, along with a lack of inclusiveness and diversity, also limit opportunities for innovation, cross-cultural knowledge exchange, and effective implementation of conservation goals. As part of its mandate to increase diversity and promote inclusion of underrepresented groups, the Diversity and Inclusion committee of the Society for Conservation Biology-Marine Section (SCB Marine) organized a JEDI focus group at the virtual Sixth International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC6). The focus group included a portion of the global cohort of IMCC6 attendees who identified issues affecting JEDI in marine conservation and explored pathways to address those issues. Therefore, the barriers and pathways identified here focus on issues pertinent to participants’ global regions and experiences. Several barriers to just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive conservation science and practice were identified. Examples included limited participation of under-represented minorities (URM) in research networks, editorial biases against URM, limited professional development and engagement opportunities for URM and non-English speakers, barriers to inclusion of women, LGBTQ+, and sensory impaired individuals, and financial barriers to inclusion of URM in all aspects of marine conservation and research. In this policy brief, we explore these barriers, assess how they limit progress in marine conservation science, and seek to identify initiatives for improvements. We expect the initiatives for improvements discussed here to contribute to advances in practices within SCB Marine and, we hope, throughout the conservation community - advances rooted in principles of JEDI. The recommendations and perspectives herein broadly apply to conservation science and practice, given that diversity and inclusion in research is critical to effective and sustainable conservation and management outcomes.