The initial applications of these methods demonstrates that their sustained
application requires a high degree of trust among those participating. These typically
include those funding and administering the initiative, political leaders and, most
importantly the stakeholders most directly affected by the program’s actions. Too
often some of these relationships are colored by adversarial tensions and the instinct
to behave in a less than transparent manner. However, a culture of learning with
high standards of accountability and professional excellence predominate in such
fields as public health. A similar culture must be fostered within the emerging
profession of coastal ecosystem governance.