When a booming marine fishery can increase its shrimp catch while also reducing unintentional bycatch of turtles—that's an example of what environmental scientists and managers call a "win-win." Models often predict this ideal outcome is achievable, yet stakeholders rarely see it manifest in the real world. Now, a Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)-led study incorporates the complexity of the real world into models, explaining the discrepancy, validating the concerns of stakeholders and providing more realistic expectations for the future of environmental management.