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Limited Progress in Improving Gender and Geographic Representation in Coral Reef Science

Publication ,  Journal Article
Ahmadia, GN; Cheng, SH; Andradi-Brown, DA; Baez, SK; Barnes, MD; Bennett, NJ; Campbell, SJ; Darling, ES; Estradivari, ES; Gill, D; Gress, E ...
Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
September 29, 2021

Despite increasing recognition of the need for more diverse and equitable representation in the sciences, it is unclear whether measurable progress has been made. Here, we examine trends in authorship in coral reef science from 1,677 articles published over the past 16 years (2003–2018) and find that while representation of authors that are women (from 18 to 33%) and from non-OECD nations (from 4 to 13%) have increased over time, progress is slow in achieving more equitable representation. For example, at the current rate, it would take over two decades for female representation to reach 50%. Given that there are more coral reef non-OECD countries, at the current rate, truly equitable representation of non-OECD countries would take even longer. OECD nations also continue to dominate authorship contributions in coral reef science (89%), in research conducted in both OECD (63%) and non-OECD nations (68%). We identify systemic issues that remain prevalent in coral reef science (i.e., parachute science, gender bias) that likely contribute to observed trends. We provide recommendations to address systemic biases in research to foster a more inclusive global science community. Adoption of these recommendations will lead to more creative, innovative, and impactful scientific approaches urgently needed for coral reefs and contribute to environmental justice efforts.

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Published In

Frontiers in Marine Science

DOI

EISSN

2296-7745

Publication Date

September 29, 2021

Volume

8

Related Subject Headings

  • 3708 Oceanography
  • 3705 Geology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0602 Ecology
  • 0405 Oceanography
 

Citation

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Ahmadia, G. N., Cheng, S. H., Andradi-Brown, D. A., Baez, S. K., Barnes, M. D., Bennett, N. J., … Wosu, A. (2021). Limited Progress in Improving Gender and Geographic Representation in Coral Reef Science. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.731037
Ahmadia, G. N., S. H. Cheng, D. A. Andradi-Brown, S. K. Baez, M. D. Barnes, N. J. Bennett, S. J. Campbell, et al. “Limited Progress in Improving Gender and Geographic Representation in Coral Reef Science.” Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (September 29, 2021). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.731037.
Ahmadia GN, Cheng SH, Andradi-Brown DA, Baez SK, Barnes MD, Bennett NJ, et al. Limited Progress in Improving Gender and Geographic Representation in Coral Reef Science. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2021 Sep 29;8.
Ahmadia, G. N., et al. “Limited Progress in Improving Gender and Geographic Representation in Coral Reef Science.” Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 8, Sept. 2021. Scopus, doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.731037.
Ahmadia GN, Cheng SH, Andradi-Brown DA, Baez SK, Barnes MD, Bennett NJ, Campbell SJ, Darling ES, Estradivari ES, Gill D, Gress E, Gurney GG, Horigue V, Jakub R, Kennedy EV, Mahajan SL, Mangubhai S, Matsuda SB, Muthiga NA, Navarro MO, Santodomingo N, Vallès H, Veverka L, Villagomez A, Wenger AS, Wosu A. Limited Progress in Improving Gender and Geographic Representation in Coral Reef Science. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2021 Sep 29;8.

Published In

Frontiers in Marine Science

DOI

EISSN

2296-7745

Publication Date

September 29, 2021

Volume

8

Related Subject Headings

  • 3708 Oceanography
  • 3705 Geology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0602 Ecology
  • 0405 Oceanography