Science, Worldview, and Seafood

ABSTRACT

Data, in and of itself, is not knowledge. Rather, data are discrete pieces of information that we then imbue with meaning, weaving together to form knowledge. How data is gathered, housed, analyzed, and shared requires decision making, and thus, subjectivity. For instance, so much of fisheries data is dependent on reporting from fishers, who often have incentives to skew their data. Acknowledging these inherent biases might create incentives to do more grounded, community based work, which we can then weave together to create broader findings and better science. Indigenous science holds that we are in relation to our data, and that we should be doing science in a way that is reflective of our world view. This approach to knowledge creation requires acknowledging subjectivity and honoring relationality. But how can synthetic methods, which rely on the use of data typically collected and shared by others, be informed by Indigenous science?

Phoebe will be giving an exit seminar style defense in which she will grapple with this question in relation to her own work, using storytelling and reflection as framing to present scientific contributions. In her exit seminar, she will discuss her work on data sovereignty and relationality in science, addressing challenges associated with marine nutrient pollution through the development of in water interventions and modeling tools and untethering the effect of pandemic policies on seafood consumption. If you like thinking about the ethics of science or talking about food, this one’s for you.

BIO

Phoebe is a disciplinary-nimble and solutions-oriented seafood systems researcher. In her work, she used a blend of quantitative and qualitative methods to understand seafood and pollution markets, food systems, and marine conservation. She has a soft spot in her heart for aquaculture. In her spare time, Phoebe likes to be outside and work with her hands. She appreciates a good pun and likes to make jokes.