Exploring social dimensions of sustainability: A review of lobster fisheries research in Atlantic Canada

International fisheries management increasingly calls for holistic, interdisciplinary approaches that integrate institutional, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions. Yet, incorporating diverse social data, particularly from the social sciences, into decision-making remains a persistent challenge. This paper uses Atlantic Canadian lobster fisheries as a case study to assess how social dimensions of sustainability have been addressed in research and to identify barriers to their integration into policy and management. Guided by the Canadian Fisheries Research Network’s full-spectrum sustainability framework, this scoping review synthesizes 23 peer-reviewed social science studies on lobster fisheries in Atlantic Canada. The review finds that governance themes, such as access rights, co-management, and regulatory frameworks, receive the most attention, while labour conditions, economic viability, intergenerational access, and cultural identity are comparatively underexplored. Regional imbalances are also evident, with most case studies concentrated in Nova Scotia and limited research from other Atlantic provinces. Persistent knowledge gaps relate to institutional responsiveness, alternative governance models, intra-community differences, occupational health and safety, and spatial conflict. The reviewed studies illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of the literature, portraying lobster fisheries as complex social-ecological systems shaped by legal, cultural, institutional, and economic forces. Findings underscore the need for more interdisciplinary, equity-centered, and context-sensitive research to support holistic and adaptive fisheries governance. Greater integration of social dimensions into fisheries policy may support more sustainable and inclusive governance Atlantic Canadian lobster fisheries.