Confluences in Aquatic Science and Technology Studies

The world’s oceans and freshwater ecosystems are in peril. Phenomena such as acidification, eutrophication, temperature increases, and pollution put many aquatic ecosystems and the diverse creatures and processes that compose them under massive strain. Faced with this conundrum, many societal actors argue for a radical transformation of our relationship with aquatic environments, away from current models of overextraction and damage towards futures of mutual care and respect. Such transformation requires subverting existing narratives of economic growth and the colonization of aquatic environments while developing a new set of technoscientific devices for the exploration, scaling, and regulation of new modes of more-than-human relating with aquatic environments, their inhabitants, and the many groups that depend on them.

Given the centrality of technoscience in transforming watery futures, multiple scholars of Science and Technology Studies (STS) have recently brought their analytical attention to aquatic ecosystems (marine, oceanic, and freshwater alike), the sciences that study them, and the technoscientific enterprises aimed at intervening in them. New developments in science and technology are increasingly expected to lead the way in understanding environmental crises affecting aquatic environments and identifying potential solutions. However, STS research in this area has often remained scattered and, at times, disconnected. Challenging this marginal status, this workshop brings together leading and emerging STS scholars who research knowledge practices and technical innovation in marine, oceanic, and freshwater sciences. Through the in-depth analysis of concrete cases and conceptual discussion, the workshop aims to collectively identify core themes and open questions for future research, and to build a shared — though possibly contested — analytical vocabulary. It is expected that this workshop will lay the foundations for an aquatic STS network which will form the basis for future publications, events, and public outreach initiatives.