SEVENSEAS Partner Publications Social Science Community Newsletter: October 2016 | Page 5

Social Scientist Spotlight: Jarrod Loerzel, Hollings Marine Laboratory What Jarrod Does: Jarrod leads and is part of a number of social science projects at the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston South Carolina, which is part of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. He is also part of the team that develops socioeconomic surveys for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Project (NCRMP). The surveys asks residents of the seven U.S. coral reef jurisdictions about their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions as well as perceived threats, conditions, and the management of their local coral reefs. His Background: Jarrod holds joint B.S. degrees in Political Science, Environmental Studies, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from Northern Illinois University. He also holds an M.S. in Environmental Studies and a Master’s in Public Administration from the College of Charles- Photo Courtesy of Jarrod Loerzel ton in South Carolina. For his graduate work, Jarrod used participatory GIS methods to understand how people value the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve. He showed the geospatial intersections of social values among boaters, anglers, and hunters by overlaying survey data from those user groups with environmental GIS data. An Important Accomplishment: Getting a three -year, participatory GIS research project funded was a big accomplishment. The project involved working through the Office of Management and Budget approval process to conduct an online and in-person survey, building rapport with the NEERs to use selected locations as research sites, and analyzing the interaction of social and environmental data layers. But, helping to build the socioeconomic component of the NCRMP was no small feat! Highlights and Lowlights of Working in Social Science: One highlight is the fact that social science has taken a more prominent role and is increasingly viewed as a useful tool within NOAA, in general, and NCCOS, in particular. The opportunity for public engagement and getting to explain the importance of social science are additional highlights as is the chance to help connect the dots for people who don’t understand the utility of social science. With respect to lowlights, there is a perception that anyone can “do” social science. For example, putting together a survey is harder than people think as it is more than just asking questions Biggest Misconceptions about Social Science: The biggest misconception is the perception that social science does not use the scientific method; there is a general lack of appreciation for the full suite of methods utilized by social scientists. Social science is more than just collecting primary data through the use of surveys. Many times social science work involves the use of secondary data. For example, combining demographic data, details of building structures, and housing records with data on floods or sea level rise can be used to identify environmentally vulnerable populations. His Vision for Social Science at NOAA: Jarrod believes that the integration of the social sciences across all of NOAA’s scientific disciplines will be commonplace within the agency as it moves forward. He also believes that NOAA will continue to move toward making greater use of web-based and online methods for primary data collection, especially in terms of participatory GIS and citizen science. However, he recognizes that using such data will require more oversight, additional rules, and a solid framework. A Fun Fact About Jarrod : Jarrod and his wife used to own a 5-acre plot of land in central Illinois where they grew organic produce and flowers to supply Chicago-area restaurants; restaurants owned by Rick Bayless and Paul Kahan were among his clients. He plays Blues harmonica and enjoys building, repairing, and designing tube amplifiers. Reach Jarrod at [email protected] Page 5 of 6