Walking the Talk: Human Dimensions in Theory Versus Practice

While there is rich scholarship focused on humans as part of ocean ecosystems, there have been relatively few efforts to put these ideas into practice at larger geographic scales. As the Ocean Health Index (OHI) is focused on the ability of oceans to deliver a range of benefits, it explicitly includes people in the assessment of ocean condition. Application of the OHI and other interdisciplinary human-environment assessments create different policy and implementation possibilities when they are implemented at different geographic scales; I will describe how we overcame various challenges faced in breaking this ground and highlight approaches for incorporating human dimensions across different spatial scales and socio-cultural contexts.