Workshop Design
The workshop was focused around group discussions throughout the day. Graduate students displayed their research around the room first thing in the morning, with the first hour of the event being designed to discuss the research. Research displays ranged from posters, to maps, to videos, to microscope displays. After an hour of socializing guests were welcomed, presented the objectives for the day, and reminded of what they wanted to gain from this event.
The rest of the morning was spent in small group discussions led by grad student researchers. Students had two thirty-minute sessions with focus groups of their choosing to present their research and get feedback from industry members, Maine Department of Resources Scientists, and University of Maine faculty. After the given time, grad students synthesized both conversations.
After lunch attendees joined discussion groups for conversations centered around questions designed to generate feedback from industry members. These discussions were facilitated by Sea Grant Extension staff, trained facilitators that volunteered their services for the day.
This event was mainly an opportunity to hear from industry members about what is important to living marine resources and other livelihoods dependent on these resources. These directed questions were intended to assist graduate student researchers understand the demands of the industry. Groups were asked to discuss the following two questions and an optional third question:
1. What does credible research look like to you?
2. After seeing a sample of the research here today, what else should we be talking about that is vital to the sustainability of living marine resources in Maine and industry livelihoods.
3. (a) Design a study based on a specific idea mentioned in question two that would deliver credible results to industry
3. (b) Of the projects you saw here today, what aspects of the research made it seem credible to industry and relevant to your livelihoods?