Introduction

Effective public engagement and science communication are some of the cornerstones of translating and applying science into real-world applications. Whether it is in terms of communicating the efficacy of vaccines or the role of protected areas in biodiversity conservation efforts, it is a critical yet often neglected component of those involved in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). ‘Science and engineering lack a culture of explanation’ (Meredith, 2010, p 6), and this is further compounded when additional factors are considered. Scientists often ascribe to the myth of universal applicability of their research and fail to consider historical and sociocultural complexities (Meredith, 2010; Mbembe, 2016). They appear ‘arrogant and aloof when talking about their subject, especially when discussing with disenfranchised communities’ (Olson, 2009), while those communities have relevant knowledge and perspectives for science and could often benefit from integrating peer-reviewed scientific results to guide policy decisions. Orthia (2020) argues that ‘science communicators must take steps to radically reform their understandings of [science communication] so that people from diverse cultures, nations and traditions can genuinely own it as theirs’.

Science communication and public engagement in the ABCSSS islands

The six Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands are collectively referred to as the ABCSSS islands. In the ABCSSS islands, contemporary science communication initiatives of STEM research mainly engage White, highly educated, Dutch-or English-speaking audiences. This echoes similar findings in Europe (Dawson, 2014) and can be traced directly to who funds, designs, leads, executes, communicates, and benefits from scientific research and its results. In the ABCSSS islands, many science communication activities are carried out according to the ‘deficit’ model, which assumes a lack of knowledge in the target audience that can be remedied by unilateral, top-down communication of research goals, processes, methodologies, and results (Horst et al, 2017; Burns, 2018). While some important exceptions are highlighted in this chapter, STEM initiatives that prioritise public engagement that is participatory, reciprocal, and community-based throughout the research process are less common (Palmer and Schibeci, 2014; Horst et al, 2017; Sankatsing Nava and Hofman, 2018). In contrast, many locally led social science and humanities projects in the Caribbean are deeply grounded in and informed by communitybased research and engagement (Allen, 2018; CaribResearch Research Agenda, 2022).