Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
Primary Theme: Energy & Environment
Evidence gap maps are emerging as conservation tools that synthesize existing scientific research in a creative way, in order to guide evidence-based decision-making and identify areas where more targeted research is needed. Gap maps also help identify studies that suggest linkages between particular interventions and outcomes (e.g., ecological, social) and can help identify and characterize contexts for understanding tradeoffs and synergies in conservation decision-making. In the rapidly developing field of ocean science and conservation, evidence gap maps can provide informed and data-based direction for scientific, philanthropic, government and nongovernment organizations as they decide how to invest limited resources.