Interview with Women of the Water

In this month’s AIE Newsletter, I shared an interview I did with Women of the Water Co-directors Dr. Marcy Cockrell, Science Coordinator at NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture, and Blair Morrison, Science and Monitoring Program Lead at Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, about their recent article published in Oceanography. Here it is again for those who missed it:

In reflecting on the inaugural 2022 Women of the Water (WoW) conference, you all mention the importance of leading with your values and that you didn’t shy away from hard discussions. Can you give some example topics of those hard conversations that you think are important to continue having in spaces such as the Aquaculture Information Exchange?

Some examples we can provide include discussions about challenges that women, non-binary folks, gender expansive people, and other underrepresented identities in aquaculture face. These discussions can often bring up past traumas and unfortunate realities that the spaces we work in are not always safe, supportive, or inclusive. Attendees have shared their experiences with overt discriminatory behavior from coworkers, lack of support for working parents, not being taken seriously, contributions being overlooked, sexual assault and harassment, and lack of support for field work safety. Although the conversations are difficult, these topics are not typically broached in traditional conference spaces; open and honest communication about these experiences can spark positive collective action to address some of these issues and to advance the industry in becoming more inclusive to all. You can also learn more about what we heard at this first conference in our newly published paper in Oceanography.

Are there key takeaways that you could share about the results of the 2023 WoW conference?

The second Women of the Water conference (2023) was a great success! We drew over 80 attendees, representing 12 states and Washington, D.C. Some key challenges that our attendees shared in discussions were similar to what we heard in 2022, including: a dearth of finance options and resources for first-generation students and industry members, assumed abilities and roles based on gender and patriarchal social norms, not being taken seriously, and workplace harassment. Collective action to tackle these challenges included finding “your champions”, having more diverse mentors and leaders in the field, building an inclusive community for support like Women of the Water, advocating for inclusive policies, and creating a “toolkit” to empower ourselves and others. When asked what the future of the industry looks like, many cited increased youth involvement, more technical training and educational opportunities, more science-based policy, better communication to tackle misinformation, and increased collaboration with new partners and more diverse communities. Please note that this is just a brief snapshot of outcomes from the many discussions we had; we will be completing our 2023 post-conference report in the coming year and drafting a data-driven manuscript about challenges and opportunities identified from prioritization activities conducted at the conference.

What is WoW planning for next year, and how can others in the aquaculture industry support your work?

In the coming year, we are working on creating a more formal organization structure for Women of the Water and expanding our reach to a broader audience. We will be moving to a biennial conference schedule to assist with capacity, since we are completely volunteer run. We are planning to be back in 2025 with the third Women of the Water Conference, including our mentorship program, student travel support program, and some additional new activities. We are hoping to also host the 2025 conference in a new location in order to reach more people. If people want to get more involved or stay informed about our events, they can fill out our online form or join the Women of the Water group on the Aquaculture Information Exchange! We welcome anyone and everyone who supports our mission of building a more diverse and inclusive aquaculture industry.

Cover photo: 2023 Women of the Water Conference at Mote Marine Lab and Aquaculture Park in Sarasota, FL; photo courtesy Mote Marine Lab