Word cloud of #socialfish symposium presentations.

Sponsors: AIFRB and the Fisheries Blog

As keynote speaker David Shiffman (@WhySharksMatter) noted, there have been numerous revolutions in communications over the course of human history…oral language…the written word…the printing press…the telephone…and social media. Whether you are an early adopter or a technological luddite, there’s no denying that social media has transformed the way we interact with each other and the way we communicate our fisheries science. The American Institute for Fisheries Research Biologists teamed up with The Fisheries Blog to host a session examining the role social media plays in disseminating fisheries science, communicating with new audiences, making connections, and building partnerships. From Twitter to Facebook to blogs and more traditional media outlets, communication platforms evolve, but the session presenters still emphasized that content is king. To communicate fisheries science—be it presenting to lay audiences, discussing with stakeholders, or teaching students—still requires clear objectives and concise messaging.  From there, you can use social media strategically to effectively engage your target audience in ways that were not possible before. For alternative synopses of the session, please check out The Fisheries Blog’s #SocialFish post and David Shiffman’s #SocialFish Storify. Read the abstracts here.

—Sean M. Lucey, Abigail J. Lynch, Patrick B. Cooney, and Brandon Peoples