Diversity in science refers to cultivating talent and promoting the full inclusion of excellence across the social spectrum. This social spectrum has many dimensions that include, but are not limited to: gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability status, nationality, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background. Still, the scientific community lacks social diversity, especially regarding the participation of women, people with disabilities, racial minorities, and other underrepresented groups. The underrepresentation of these groups leads to social inequity and to a great loss of talent. In this regard, many initiatives are trying to increase the visibility of underrepresented groups in science, raise awareness of inequities, and develop new strategies to promote their inclusion. In this session, we aim to raise awareness on the importance of diversity and inclusion in Aquatic Sciences. We welcome contributions aiming at: 1) promoting the visibility of underrepresented groups, 2) identifying the challenges faced by these groups, or 3) sharing experiences that improve their inclusion in scientific environments. This Special Session will be organized by the Diversity and Inclusion Commission of SIBECOL and the Gender and Science Group of AIL (Iberian Association of Limnology). These commissions aim to act as an observatory of diversity within their societies, foster the visibility of those groups that have been historically excluded from the scientific community, and propose recommendations for improving equality in academia.
Lead Organizer: Elizabeth Leon-Palmero, University of Southern Denmark & Princeton University (eleonpalmero@protonmail.com)
Co-organizers:
Núria Catalán, USGS/LSCE-CNRS (ncatalangarcia@gmail.com)
Anna Lupon, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes(CEAB-CSIC) (alupon@ceab.csic.es)
Pablo Rodríguez-Lozano, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain (pablo.rodriguez@uib.es)
Presentations
03:00 PM
The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN): Fostering a diverse scientific workforce (6502)
Primary Presenter: Mona Behl, Georgia Sea Grant (mbehl@uga.edu)
The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) is a grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity across the geosciences with an emphasis on creating and supporting a nurturing community, working for cultural change to eliminate barriers to a diverse scientific workforce, and empowering scientists through professional development. ESWN is led by a volunteer Board of Directors and Associate Board of Directors, which support a range of activities aimed at professional growth and creating a just, equitable and inclusive geoscience community. Donations to our non-profit supports this mission, and membership in ESWN is free and open to everyone. Volunteer opportunities are also available via a range of committees dedicated to planning and organizing in person and virtual connections. ESWN supports an online group where scientists who identify as women can share resources, seek support and enhance their network. We also organize in-person and virtual networking events with chances to meet others working in the scientific workforce, gain insight into different career paths, and grow connections across disciplines in an inclusive environment. Professional development opportunities, across a range of career stages, are critical to empowering scientist leaders with skills and knowledge to enact change and foster a better sense of belonging for all scientists.
03:15 PM
“Are we heard enough?” Taking a step toward Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in the aquatic sciences. (4850)
Tutorial/Invited: Invited
Primary Presenter: Anwesha Ghosh, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (anweshag91@gmail.com)
The debate around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, or simply put, DEIJ, has been going on within the scientific community for a while now. The topic is often discussed in hushed voices during recruitment drives or, once in a while, at the international forum. But how does DEIJ impact our research? Here’s an example. I work in the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem, the Sundarbans, home to the only swamp tiger in the world along with 453 other species, including 290 birds, 120 fish, 42 mammal, 35 reptile and 8 amphibians. An ecosystem so fragile that it might be lost by 2050. Nearly one million people are at risk- the largest population that has had to migrate due to climate change. To know more about such fascinating ecosystems and research being done to address critical scientific questions, the ASLO ECC Committee launched Amplifying Voices (AV) in November 2021-a webinar series aimed at allowing interaction between underrepresented scientists (read Early Career Researchers) with the wide audience of ASLO. The AV webinars became a medium to equalize opportunities- an action point to address DEIJ instead of just talking about it. At AV, we host two ECRs each month to present their research, while making a conscious effort to include researchers from diverse backgrounds and study topics aligned with the aquatic sciences.
03:30 PM
THE ASLO MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM: 34 YEARS OF LEADING THE WAY FOR DEI SUCCESS (5487)
Primary Presenter: Benjamin Cuker, Hampton University (cukerbenjamin@gmail.com)
The ASLO Multicultural Program began in 1990 as one of the earliest efforts by a scientific society to address the issues of diversity and inclusion. It helped blaze a pathway for other similar efforts in the aquatic and environmental sciences. This includes the concept of meeting-mentors that was invented by ASLOMP in 1991. Over 1,200 diverse students have participated in this annual event. Undergraduates (72%), graduate students (28%), women (68%), men (32%), African Americans (45%), Hispanic Americans (35%), Native Americans (6%), Pacific Islanders (6%), Asian Americans (3%) and white Americans (3%) filled the ranks of participants. Although data is lacking until recent years, LBGQT+, first generation for college, bi- and multiracial status, differently abled, as well as intersectionality is also well represented in later cohorts. ASLOMP fully funds the participation, including travel, housing, food, registration and abstract fees. Special programing includes an opening dinner with a keynote speaker, hands-on field trip, student symposium, a system of meeting-mentors, and special workshops to prepare the students and mentors for fuller participation and better networking. ASLOMP has changed the face of ASLO. It produced the first African American student and regular members elected to the ASLO Board of Directors. It also pioneered special programing for students at ASLO meetings.
03:45 PM
Increasing Diversity in Ocean Sciences in New England (6914)
Primary Presenter: Aimee Bonanno, University of Massachusetts Boston (aimee.bonanno@umb.edu)
The lack of diversity in ocean sciences is stifling innovation. Critical actions are needed to create a supportive culture and shift toward equity centric systems. New England Ocean Science Education Collaborative (NEOSEC) has engaged in a yearlong process to increase access to ocean science throughout New England. NEOSEC as a collaborative of 48 institutions has been working to promote ocean literacy in New England since 2005. When we look around our own table, we lack racial diversity. We have partnered with Dr. Kerrie Wilkins-Yel, a psychologist who specializes in understanding the influence of oppression and marginalization on the academic and career development of women from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds in STEM disciplines. She has led us to explore different frameworks and histories through critical reflection such as BRIDGE by Ruchika Tulshayn, the 6 forms of Cultural Capital from Tara Yasso, and Equity Ethic by Dr. Ebony McGee. With her guidance and our reflections, we are building critical agency among ourselves. We are working to understand our own positionality and the dominant identities within ocean science and to expand NEOSEC membership to include organizations who already work with minoritized communities. We undertake this work to improve our own collective intelligence and create a culture necessary for innovation, while supporting our vision that all individuals and communities are engaged in ocean science learning in New England and are welcomed and supported to have a strong relationship with the ocean.
04:00 PM
How can we build synergy on our diverse diversity challenges? (7130)
Primary Presenter: Corey Garza, California State University, Monterey Bay (cogarza@csumb.edu)
Globally, the ocean sciences struggles with attracting diverse audiences to the discipline. This issue has important implications as it affects the talents and perspectives that are brought to bear in addressing the emerging challenges of the 21st century. These barriers can range from historical gatekeeping practices within the workplace to lack of opportunities for diverse students and early career professionalss. COSEA (Coastal and Ocean STEM Equity Alliance), a group of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) professionals has been working to address these challenges that impact individuals across multiple career stages and identities. To date our work has focused on issues ranging on gatekeeping in the workplace, the lack of inclusion of diverse individuals within grants, and how the representation of the ocean sciences may not resonate with the diverse cultural structures of individuals that are historically underrepresented in the ocean sciences. In this session, we discuss ongoing COSEA work within the JEDI space, and how our work can support improving representation in the ocean sciences. While much of our work has focused on inclusion within the U.S. ocean science workforce we expect that our approaches can support diversity and inclusion efforts within the global ocean science community.
04:15 PM
Less than a third: low presence of women in editorial boards of freshwater sciences journals (6622)
Primary Presenter: Núria Catalán, IDAEA-CSIC (ncatalangarcia@gmail.com)
Peer-review process is affected by implicit biases of the reviewers and editors, and increasing the diversity of the researchers involved is probably the best strategy to minimize those biases. Here, we analyze the composition of the editorial board of 45 journals in Limnology. On average, women acting as an associate editor represented less than one third of the board (29% ± 17%; mean value ± SD). The median representation of women in editorial boards was 35%, ranging from 0% to 67%. Additionally, only seven journals (15% of the total analyzed) had a female editor-in-chief acting solo, while this role was taken by males in 24 journals (53% of the total analyzed). When including shared editor-in-chief roles, 12 journals (21%) had at least one woman in the editor-in-chief team. None of the journals with shared editor-in-chief roles had a team entirely composed of women, while that was the case for men in six out of 11 journals. Furthermore, we analyzed additional factors that could influence the composition of editorial boards such as: affiliation of the editors, journal impact factor, years since foundation of the journal, relation to a scientific association, transparent rules to enter the editorial board, publishing abstracts in two or more languages, or offering translation services. We aim to discuss to which extent these factors are responsible for the observed gender-biases in our editorial boards, as well as to collectively find solutions to increase the presence of women in the editorial boards of aquatic science journals where we publish or serve as editors and reviewers.
EP001A Face to Face With Diversity and Inclusion Experiences in Aquatic Sciences
Description
Time: 3:00 PM
Date: 7/6/2023
Room: Sala Portixol 1