20 DECEMBER 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG perceived strength and direction of change in response to different scenarios) were then made interactable and accessible through their integration into a lightweight web application (compareit.shinyapps. io/decision_support/) Stakeholders included in the participatory workshops included industry representatives working with new salmon farming systems in Norway, researchers, and representatives from trade organisations. The variables that stakeholders identified as relevant to Norwegian salmon farming and their interactions were visualized in the freeware Mental Modeler throughout workshops to facilitate the coproduction of a map of the system. Connections between variables were quantified on a continuous scale between -1 and +1, where a negative value indicated that if one variable increased, the variable on the receiving end of the “negative” connection would decrease. A -1 indicated a strong decrease in the connected variable (and it follows +1 indicated an increase in one variable would also result in the direct, strong increase in the connected variable while values near zero describe weak relationships between variables). These values served as the basis of a semi-quantitative model we used to describe our system and the basis of the creation of the projected future outcomes that were possible to interact with in the web application. The application was built using Shiny (Chang et al. 2023), an open-source framework for building interactive web applications. One interactive element of the application is in the form of a dropdown menu where users can select what category of variables users would like to visualize. Visualizations of the model results are shown in plots separated by user language (Norwegian or English). Feedback from stakeholders were implemented to make the app more user friendly. Specifically, the grouping of similar variables was informed by conversations with stakeholders seeking to simplify how results are shown. In addition, the app is developed in both Norwegian and English to match the language needs of different users (from local industry actors to academics; see Figure 3 for table providing information on variables in both languages). The app includes a concise description of how the model functions and how to interpret results from the scenarios. Finally, information on the relevant variables defined by stakeholders and the fuzzy cognitive map describing the relationship between variables stakeholders defined in workshops is provided to users for easier interpretation of results. The initial idea behind creating the app was to provide a firstgeneration decision support tool for future scenarios in salmon farming. However, as the outputs of the workshops and FCM presented in the web application are based on a small number of actors providing input, the project group decided to consider other applications for the app. In the process of creating it, it became clear that one very relevant application was to use it to make the results from the FCM study available to diverse stakeholder groups, thus making the research outcomes more accessible to a wide audience. Outputs from the workshops and app are useful 1) in the context of engaging non-experts in research and 2) for serving as conversational focal points for ideating scenarios and informing decision making. The FCM developed in workshops also serves an important purpose as a simplification of the many factors influencing the development of the Norwegian salmon farming industry, which allows for the visualisation of important and sometimes surprising relationships between identified variables. The app’s value comes from its ability to bridge gaps between researchers and stakeholders and between stakeholders themselves who may have differing opinions on how different variables will affect other variables under future scenarios. Indeed, similar apps may be used for policy makers to better understand and apply research-based knowledge, and to improve the communication between resource managers, regulators, policy makers, and actors from industry. The conversations that result from interaction with the digital tool can thus be used to inform decision makers on how to develop Norwegian salmon farming in coming decades under different scenarios. This work is a part of the project Compareit: Opportunities and challenges with innovations in aquaculture production systems, financed by the Research Council of Norway (grant 319647). The project manager is SINTEF Ocean and partners are: The Norwegian Seafood Federation, The Federation of Norwegian Industries, SalMar, Nordlaks, Aquaculture Innovation, Salmon Evolution, House of Knowledge and the University of Tromsø. Notes L. Veylit*, A. Strand, T.L. Oftebro, A.U. Misund and T. Thorvaldsen, SINTEF Ocean, Postboks 4762 Torgarden, NO-7465 Trondheim, Norway * Corresponding author: lara.veylit@sintef.no References Kosko, Bart. 1986. “Fuzzy cognitive maps.” International journal of man-machine studies 24.1 (1986): 65-75. Chang, W., J. Cheng, J. Allaire, C. Sievert, B. Schloerke, Y. Xie, J. Allen, J. McPherson, A. Dipert and B. Borges. 2023. shiny: Web Application Framework for R. R package version 1.7.4.9002, https://shiny.rstudio.com/ Misund, A., T. Thorvaldsen, A.V. Strand, T.L. Oftebro and S.W. Dahle. 2024. Opportunities and challenges in new production systems for salmon farming in Norway—Industry perspective. Marine Policy, 170, 106394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. marpol.2024.106394 Moe Føre, H., T. Thorvaldsen, T.C. Osmundsen, F. Asche, R. Tveterås, J.T. Fagertun and H.V. Bjelland. 2022. Technological innovations promoting sustainable salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture in Norway. Aquaculture Reports, 24, 101115. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2022.101115 The app’s value comes from its ability to bridge gaps between researchers and stakeholders and between stakeholders themselves who may have differing opinions on how different variables will affect other variables under future scenarios. ... The conversations that result from interaction with the digital tool can thus be used to inform decision makers on how to develop Norwegian salmon farming in coming decades under different scenarios.
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