Social networks and participation in cooperative fisheries research in the northeast U.S

Social network analysis is a useful aid in evaluating social capital, communication networks and the roles of stakeholders in natural resource management. Cooperative research, scientists and fishers collaborating in scientific research, is an integral part of ensuring stakeholder involvement in fisheries management by linking and utilizing the knowledge of science and industry. We will use social network analysis to examine the interactions, flow of knowledge and roles of science and industry participants engaged in cooperative fisheries research in the northeast United States. An initial survey of cooperative research principal investigators will use snowball sampling and follow-up surveys to identify the network of fishers and scientists engaged in cooperative research. We will identify boundary spanners- individuals central to the network who represent bridges between science, industry, and policy and essential collaborators for continued cooperation. Survey results and follow-up interviews with a sample of network participants will then be used to characterize boundary spanners and other key individuals and to assess attitudes concerning success of cooperative research. We will identify and characterize boundary spanners in order to further increase knowledge flow, success and participation in cooperative research between science and industry.