Sometimes what you think is an end is only a beginning: effective stakeholder engagement requires an enduring relationship

Oftentimes scientific research and the resulting publications will casually insert towards the end of their objectives that their findings may have implications for specific stakeholders (e.g., lawmakers, managers, industry, etc.) without engaging with them and confirming that this information is indeed beneficial. However, ensuring that data being generated is in support of ongoing efforts is something that scientists alone cannot assess. And, moreover, in this era of rapid global change with socioeconomic feedbacks, including relevant parties will not only enhance and focus the science being conducted, but it will also increase the odds that future decisions are indeed grounded in sound science. Here I present an example of integrating the implications of the research from the outset through my close partnership with the Hog Island Oyster Company for my dissertation research, what that relationship looks like, and how the data I have generated thus far might be put into practice.