Resources – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Fisheries

AFS Standards of Professional Conduct

Members will strive to preserve and enhance the fisheries profession, to provide a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment, and to encourage these behaviors in others.

AFS Meetings Code of Conduct

AFS values the diversity of views, expertise, opinions, backgrounds, and experiences reflected among all attendees, and is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting participants and AFS staff.

How AFS is working to make a difference

Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Diversity and Inclusion Committee

We aim to foster the inclusion, participation, and equitable treatment of members of the WDAFS without regard to gender or gender identity, race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical or cognitive ability, political affiliation, or family, marital, or economic status, and further, to increase awareness of and encourage diversity and inclusion within the fisheries workforce.

Fisheries Diversity and Inclusion Podcast

We encourage you to join us for discussions on many topics related to diversity and inclusion in fisheries. We explore success stories, learn more about systemic barriers to inclusion, and meet some amazing fisheries professionals.

American Fisheries Society Equal Opportunities Section

EOS works to encourage the exchange of information pertinent to the promotion of employment, education, scholarships, participation, professionalism, and recruitment for all individuals in the fisheries profession.

Nine Proposed Action Areas to Enhance Diversity and Inclusion in the American Fisheries Society

Brooke E. Penaluna, Ivan Arismendi, Christine M. Moffitt, and Zachary L. Penney, Fisheries 42: 399-402

Diversity and Inclusion Day 2020 Videos

This collection of talks (organized by the Equal Opportunities Section) comprised the Learn portion of Diversity and Inclusion Day 2020 during the Virtual AFS Meeting. Talks are meant to share ideas, discuss topics, dispel myths, and help foster constructive conversations among members.

Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

A paid summer internship and mentoring program for high schools students, which is sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Our vision is to stimulate interest in careers in fisheries science and management among groups underrepresented in the fisheries professions, including minorities & women.

American Fisheries Society Awards and Scholarships

AFS offers awards to its members and partners for unique contributions that directly or indirectly impact fisheries science. Each year there is a call for award nominations recognizing professional excellence and/or outstanding contributions to conservation, education, and service.

Take Action!

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Fight for social justice, engage with efforts that advocate for the betterment of our society, and mentor individuals who are underrepresented in STEM.

Be self aware and deliberate in your actions and words; hold yourself and your organization accountable and speak up when you see or hear something that is not ok; rotate communal tasks in a group so everyone shares the burden
Become an ally and accomplice, using resources including The Guide to Allyship and Moving from Actor → Ally → Accomplice
Become a pen pal with an elementary student using Letters to a Pre-Scientist
Coordinate a speaker or trainer to share knowledge on diversity, equity, and inclusion at your workplace; for example, Tony Chatman and Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley
Establish an inclusive environment through a dialogue agreement, such as that developed by First Alaskans Institute (2016)
Ensure diverse perspectives are included in your hiring committee, research project, etc. using resources intended to highlight underrepresented experts including Request a Woman in STEM
Follow topical threads on social media, including #BlackInTheIvory and #BlackInNature
Increase visibility! Share your pronouns and aspects of your personal background in public presentations and/or on your personal website/professional networking platform
Learn from the experiences of first generation college students and provide support to URM students
- 9 tips to help first-generation college students thrive in the first semester by The College of St. Scholastica (2016)
- What I Learned as a First-Generation College Student by Tequilla Brownie (2016) in TNTP Blog
- What I’ve learned from being a first-generation College student by Shay Finch (2019) in Sweet Briar College Admissions Blog
Partner with a local nonprofit to share your work and passion as a visiting scientist in K-12 programs
Seek out mentorship opportunities in your local school district and universities
Support programs that offer opportunities to underrepresented groups in STEM, such as Mathematically Gifted and Black
Volunteer as Skype a Scientist to engage with students in science classes

Resources by Topic

Resources by topic for learning mindful approaches to understanding and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Become an Effective Leader

5 Daily Practices of Emotionally Intelligent Leaders (2019) by Leaders Edge blog
Are You an Inclusive Leader? (2019) by Leaders Edge blog
How Did Emotional Intelligence Become Essential For Leadership? (2019) by Leaders Edge blog
The 30 Tips of Dignity & Respect (2016) by Dignity and Respect
Transforming mentorship in STEM by training scientists to be better leaders by Amanda Hund et al. (2018) in Ecology and Evolution
Why Kindness Matters for Effective Leadership (2019) by Leaders Edge blog

Confront Bias

Bias and Schemas by Ohio State University Human Resources (5 min video)
Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald (2013) (book)
Can You Overcome Inbuilt Bias? by Sebastian Bailey (2014) in Forbes
Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives by Howard Ross (2014) (book)
Managing Unconscious Bias by Facebook for employee training (2015) (1 hour video)
Microaggressions in Everyday Life by Derald Wing Sue (4 min video)
Outsmart Your Own Biases by Jack Soll et al. (2015) in Harvard Business Review
Strategies for Confronting Unconscious Bias by Kathleen Nalty (2016) in The Colorado Lawyer
The Different Types of Unconscious Bias in Recruitment by Liz Burton in High Speed Training
Unconscious Bias by University of California San Francisco Office of Diversity and Outreach (3 min video)
Use Project Implicit to test your own implicit biases

Embrace the LGBTQ+ Community

500 Queer Scientists: read bios contributed by queer scientists intended to boost the recognition and awareness of LGBTQ+ in STEM
How to create a more inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees by Alison DeNisco Rayome (2019) in Tech Republic
How to make STEM a safe place for trans and non-binary people by Tristan Greene (2020) in The Next Web
Panti’s Noble Call at the Abbey Theatre (10 min video)
Rising Stars Black & Out by oSTEM; oSTEM’s D&I team celebrates the many faces whose identities intersect within underserved communities of LGBTQ+ people in STEM
- AJ Bryant (4 min video)
- Lianna Newman (4 min video)
- Nic Dinkins (5 min video)

Enhance Diversity

Diversity and Inclusion in Conservation: A Proposal for a Marine Diversity Network by Nicola Smith et al. (2017) in Frontiers in Marine Science
How Diversity Makes us Smarter by Katherine Phillips (2014) in Scientific American
No progress on diversity in 40 years by Rachel Bernard and Emily Cooperdock (2018) in Nature Geoscience
Strategies for increasing diversity in the ocean science workforce through mentoring by Ashanti Johnson et al. (2016) in Oceanography
The New Inclusion Quotient by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (12 min video)

Promote Racial Equity

#BlackInNature: How Young Scientists Are Pushing For Equality by Eric Betz in Discover (2020)
6 Action Items for White People in the Workplace & Beyond by Amanda Gelender (2016) in Medium
97 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice by Corinne Shutack in Medium (2017, with ongoing revisions)
An Antiracist Reading List by Ibram Kendi in The New York Times (2019)
An open letter to the EEB community by Solo North in Medium (2020)
Follow #BlackInNature and #BlackinMarineScience threads on Twitter
How #BlackInTheIvory put a spotlight on racism in academia by Nidhi Subbaraman in Nature (2020)
What Is White Privilege, Really? by Cory Collins (2018) in Teaching Tolerance
- plus a Toolkit
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo (2018) (book)
White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh (1988)

Support Women

Not “Pulling up the Ladder”: Women Who Organize Conference Symposia Provide Opportunities for Women Speakers by Stephanie Sardelis & Joshua Drew (2016) in PLoS ONE
Science Faculty’s Subtle Gender Biases Favor Male Students by Corinne Moss-Racusin et al. (2012) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a consensus study report (2018) in National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

For further resources, explore efforts compiled by others also interested in making this a better world.

This selected resource list was curated by the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society Diversity and Inclusion Committee. We acknowledge this resource list is not comprehensive and that there are many good resources available.
We welcome your thoughts, ideas, and experiences about diversity and inclusion and encourage you to contact us at [email protected].