Hashtag Fish: Garnering Connections Among Peers, the Public, and Conservation

Social media has become an established component of many facets of science, including fisheries and conservation ecology. Indeed, platforms like Twitter and Facebook have made the fisheries world a much smaller pond through rapid exchanges of information. Although not a new phenomenon, measuring social media's success as a tool for fish conservation can be nebulous. I'll provide examples of using social media to address three major areas: connecting the public with fish conservation science, facilitating new connections among fisheries researchers (and enhancing current relationships), and how social media can be used to effect change. Examples include connecting the public with fisheries fieldwork, using Twitter to share research results and crowd-source data collection, and increasing public awareness of fisheries management issues. When used appropriately, social media becomes a valuable tool in modern day fisheries and conservation science.