text: Scientific information and information about science-related subjects are available in different forms. The peer-reviewed literature is what scientists have traditionally considered the best scientific information, and until recently this form of information was also the most accessible. Changes in communication technology have increased the availability of other forms of information, such as gray literature and professional and public opinion. As these other forms of information become more available, it will be harder for the nonscientists to distinguish high-quality information from low-quality information. Scientists will have to play a greater role in assisting the public and policymakers with sorting out objective information from highly biased opinion. Published scientific debate may be one means of doing this, but such forums may be misconstrued as being equivalent to independently peer-reviewed science. Clearly, scientists and publishers will have to be more attentive to how controversial and emerging science is communicated.
  Because government agencies act both as representatives of the public interest and as scientific bodies, conflicts can arise as to how information is collected and utilized and how it is communicated. Agencies should acknowledge potential conflicts and move to ameliorate them whenever possible. Providing forums for public observation of the scientific process and public participation in scientific debates is one means of accomplishing this. Administrative separation of agency divisions tasked to conduct science and develop policy may also be an effective way to avoid clouding issues and to reduce conflicts of interest.
  However, policy and science groups should communicate closely to ensure that management decisions are informed by the best available science.
  Resolution of many of today’s environmental issues, such as the influence of human activities on ecosystems, is hampered not only by rudimentary scientific understanding but also by a weakly developed scientific process. Collectively, scientists have been reluctant to go beyond the safety zone of traditional scientific approaches—hypothesis testing and statistical interpretation of results—although counter-examples do exist (see Vitousek et al. 1986, Rinne et al. 2005, Brown et al. 2005, and Hughes et al. 2006). Because management decisions continue to be made with whatever information is available, scientists need to become more involved in assessing information quality and providing guidance on how the available information might best be used. Such guidance would also help safeguard against science being subverted for political ends.
  To adequately implement the best available science, it is essential that policymakers clearly articulate the purpose of regulations and laws, clearly specify who is responsible for interpreting and enforcing them, endeavor to identify and reduce conflicts of interest, and recognize differences in the knowledge base and values of scientists, managers, and other stakeholders.
  The public is becoming increasingly involved in the scientific process, thus leading to the democratization of science. Similarly, scientists are becoming more involved in the public arena, sometimes having greater influence on public policy but also becoming more susceptible to political influence. The greater level of information exchange among scientists, policymakers, and the public means that scientists need to improve their communication, both in terms of providing information to more nonscientists and in terms of obtaining and interpreting information from a broader array of sources. (See, for example, the Leopold Program at leopoldleadership.org for ideas on promoting communication between scientists and nonscientists.)
  This committee identifies the following requirements for the identification, development, and use of best available science for fisheries and environmental issues:
  Scientists, policymakers, and the public must recognize that fisheries and environmen- tal issues involve a range of spatial and temporal scales, from single species to multiple species, communities, and ecosystems. Differences in scale result in differences in scien- tific approach and changes in the type and level of uncertainty. The science employed in addressing these issues will have to evolve as the scale changes.
  Because research on natural resource and environmental issues is necessarily multidisciplinary, biological, physical, and social scientists will need to work together to provide the science that is needed for informed policy making.