Interdisciplinary science and environmental management involve bringing together data and expertise at multiple spatial scales. The most challenging part of merging scales is aligning the scale of inquiry with the research application. Through the Louisiana case study relating wetland loss and commercial fishing, we examine how the nature and strength of the relationship changes depending on the scale of investigation. Resulting management implications also vary because of tradeoffs in choosing the scale of inquiry. State-level fisheries managers may miss effects of wetland loss in fishing communities because they are looking at aggregate data. Scientific information must directly address the constituent scale, where managers can enact policy. The case study demonstrates why scalar considerations should be an explicit part of the planning process for both science and management.
Amy Freitag is a sociologist with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Email: amy.freitag@noaa.gov.
Suzana Blake is a research associate with the University of Miami CIMAS and an affiliate of NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Email: suzana.blake@noaa.gov.
Patricia M. Clay is an anthropologist with NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Email: patricia.m.clay@noaa.gov.
Alan C. Haynie is an economist with NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Email: alan.haynie@noaa.gov.
Chris Kelble is the Director of the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division at NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Email: chris.kelble@noaa.gov.
Michael Jepson is the recently retired Social Science Branch Chief of SERO.
Stephen Kasperski is an economist with NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Email: stephen.kasperski@noaa.gov.
Kirsten M. Leong is a social scientist with NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Center. Email: kirsten.leong@noaa.gov.
Jamal H. Moss is a research fish biologist with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. Email: jamal.moss@noaa.gov.
Seann D. Regan is a human geographer with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Email: seann.regan@noaa.gov.