Abstract

The MarGov Project is a five-year applied research project on marine resource governance in the eastern Caribbean. Through the use of complex adaptive system and social-ecological system concepts, the project has focused on understanding governance related to small-scale fisheries and coastal management. The project examined how present and planned marine and coastal resource governance initiatives could become more adaptive and resilient to benefit diverse stakeholders on various levels in the eastern Caribbean. Communication, a key component of the project, is one of the most dynamic processes known to man. Communication is considered efficient and effective only when the message relayed from sender to receiver is fully understood. Scientists once believed that science “spoke for itself”, so they had research results but were sadly unable to communicate them to others. It is on this premise that effective and efficient communication became a key feature of the MarGov Project. Communicating science with clarity, coupled with selecting the correct target audience, the proper communica-tion channels and messages helps scientists make their work better understood. The MarGov project structured its communication plan and strategy around the question “How efficiently can the project communicate with partners, target institutions, and other stakeholders?” We report on the role communication plays in the MarGov Project and could play in others.