The way we use actual knowledge to answer research goals is shaping the entire outcomes of scientific project. In recent studies, a new framework based on collaboration, engagement, respect, and reciprocity is reshaping how knowledge about the oceans is created. Mathieu Lamontagne Cumiford (University of Manchester) and Myrah Graham (Amundsen Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland) challenge distant scientific methods in marine research and call for a deeper responsibility that fosters genuine dialogue with local communities and environments studied, with time spent “off the boat”.
Central to their argument is the concept of two-eyed seeing: a practice that encourages the integration of indigenous ways of knowing to Western ways of knowing. In other words, scientists studying marine habitats or benthic ecosystems could spend more time in local communities of targeted areas and could foster cultural responsiveness. This meant listening first, then using storytelling, local dialects, game, and youth-friendly activities to share information. To support these ideas, the authors reflect on their own experience spending time in the communities and “off the boat”, which helped build trust and made the research more meaningful for everyone.
In this paper, Mathieu Lamontagne Cumiford and Myrah Graham invite researchers to move beyond the dominant position of Western science and recognize themselves as human and person first, fostering relational engagement through place-based methodologies, including meaningful time spent “off the boat” in Arctic communities.
