Use of an Open Knowledge Network for the Salish Sea

We face more and greater challenges with a new sense of urgency. Science organizations have long recognized the need for data management and curation to support decision making. However, the information needed today to make resource decisions goes beyond data and models. It also includes people, their knowledge and values, needs of programs and projects, funding, geographic information, and more. This panel discusses the use of an Open Knowledge Network (OKN) for the Salish Sea, an open technology platform for finding, sharing, and accessing information and tools for decision making. Panelists will describe one such OKN, the Social Ecological Open Network (SEON)and illustrate its use via a 'knowledge manager' interface co-developed by the Suquamish Tribe. Three applications of the SEON will be presented; 1) a project level application, addressing the Tulalip Tribes' prioritizing of culvert repairs in King County; 2) a program level application, supported by the Suquamish Tribe, presenting an online permit review system that links proposed development with vulnerable natural resources and regulations,; and 3) a regional scale education application, connecting students and entrepreneurs, especially those furthest from opportunity, to the larger restoration community to build career pathways, including training, information, and social networks for entering the green economy. We will also describe how an open knowledge network like SEON can be utilized in decision support tools for comprehensive planning. Following Q&A discussions, the closing speaker will discuss the broader importance of an OKN for the Puget Sound Region, the need for pilots and case studies, the hope for more collaboration to break down barriers and to build and sustain a Salish Sea SEON across disciplines and diverse communities.