Outreach, Marine and Coastal Planning

Sociocultural Indicator Assessments and Wellbeing

Melissa Poe, Social Scientist

Integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs) are important tools for ocean and coastal policy making. To foster a better understanding of the social dimensions of marine and coast environments, WSG is working jointly with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs to develop indicators of human wellbeing.

Social indicators provide important information on the status of and trends in human wellbeing. As part of the IEAs, social indicators also help decision makers better anticipate outcomes from policy and other social changes, and from ecosystem changes along Puget Sound and the West Coast.


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