A team of interdisciplinary marine scientists are leading a series of Summer Schools in the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research’s (IMBeR) Climate and Ecosystems (ClimEco) series. I attended the 8th ClimEco summer school in Slovenia, a United Nations-endorsed Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development activity. 

As a contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science vision – The science we need for the oceans we want – ClimEco8 sought to train the next generation of ocean researchers who will lead the way in addressing ocean challenges related to sustainable development. An effort was made to explore novel approaches to understanding and addressing such complex socio-ecological issues.

The courses extended above and beyond the notion of “just” acquiring more data and knowledge. They also included lessons around facilitating the use of available science to encourage behavioural change and increase uptake of policy.  

Research interests 

My PhD research is investigating the role of a climate participatory scenario planning process in aiding small-scale fishing communities with navigating, confronting and adapting to the changing marine and coastal environment. The potential impact of this work includes a better understanding of how cultural norms, experiential learning and socio-politics may affect the utility and acceptance of scientific information for climate change adaptation planning at community level.

The summer school topics were directly related to my research interests and enabled me to reflect on the work I have completed so far. This invaluable learning experience will assist me to further refine my work in my efforts to make a substantial contribution to the existing body of knowledge regarding the development of climate change adaptation plans in marine and coastal environments.

Efforts to address the complex challenges faced by our oceans 

My presentation at the summer school gave a South African account of the efforts made to address the complex challenges faced by our oceans. The feedback I received, and the content of the summer school enhanced my knowledge and skills in developing innovative solutions to these complicated socio-ecological challenges.

Lecture topics included Climate change and the world’s oceans, Managing marine resources, Modelling the socio-ecological system and Just and equitable Ocean futures. Workshop topics ranged from how to write a winning research grant and scientific papers, develop a policy pitch and policy brief and work across disciplines to how to build successful careers both inside and outside academia, produce video abstracts, build professional networks and quantitative and qualitative survey design and survey bias.

The emerging themes throughout the lectures were rigour in both Natural and Social marine sciences research and improving research impact. Concerning research rigour, it was highlighted that qualitative research often faces criticism such as lack of reproducibility and generalisation. This is when it is not even meant to be associated with repeatability and replication in the first place.

Qualitative research differs from quantitative research – its value lies in the power of its language to display an image of the world in which we discover some things about our common humanity. The appropriate criteria to measure the rigour of qualitative research are confirmability, credibility, transferability and dependability instead of reproducibility and generalisation. These criteria are best suited to qualitative research.

Research impact can also be planned; it should not be something a researcher hopes to achieve. As researchers we have the responsibility to create a “human story” for our research. The research impact plan should begin with clarity on the societal challenge the research can address.

The SAEON science engagement office can play an important role in strengthening the link between science and society through its activities. The science engagement team should be invited to sit at the table during discussions about the organisation’s research objectives. This will ensure that the science engagement team would be able to influence the research that is conducted so that it does not focus exclusively on scientific data and information dissemination.