Adaptive Management and Ecosystem Services in Marine Reserves
The success of protected areas depends on establishing evidence that they are beneficial to policy strategies in the long term. Our work on adaptive management of nature reserves spans from local to global scales. First, we have embraced the policy implications of marine reserves in developing strategies at an international scale (e.g., International Whaling Commission Sanctuaries). While most reserves have focused on fish and invertebrates, our work has advanced the idea that reserves may benefit other wide-ranging species like marine mammals. Second, we develop predictive capabilities for the management of marine reserve networks. We currently work with the Gálapagos National Park to design and implement integrated conservation and management strategies for marine areas in the Galápagos Marine Reserve. One theme of this work is the development of novel ecological and socioeconomic models to determine the efficacy of marine reserves and the policy changes needed to achieve these goals. Using ecosystem services for evaluating the establishment of a marine reserve network means comparing the value of services with and without the reserves—including resource value to different stakeholder groups.
Visit: Research to inform management in the Gálapagos Marine Reserve
Mitigating Plastic Pollution
Marine plastic pollution is a global problem affecting marine life, habitats, and humans that depend on these ecosystems. Micro and macroplastics cause physical and chemical harm in marine systems, causing lethal and sublethal effects to marine organisms. Our lab conducts research on plastic pollution, ranging from primary data collection on usage rates to social, ecological, and economic issues that emerge from plastic use; and we study different intervention strategies. Our work aims to quantify the impact of plastic pollution on marine communities and we explore different intervention strategies to reduce the flow of plastic pollution into the environment.
Sustainable Fisheries and Human Wellbeing
Public attention has recently focused on environmental contaminants introduced into the world’s oceans, which may be toxic to seafood consumers. In contrast, nutrients in fish have been increasingly identified as having public health benefits. We study associations between sustainability and human health in seafood. This work includes an analysis of the ecological and health consequences of alternative sources of protein. Our work suggests remarkable consistency in sustainability and human-health seafood rankings - seafood items that are relatively low in mercury are also more sustainable. We have recently outlined new governance structures and market-based instruments to promote sustainable seafood production while protecting marine ecosystem services.
Connectivity and Marine Spatial Planning
Recent theoretical and empirical evidence suggest that changes in ocean temperature and pH may profoundly impact larval dispersal and population connectivity, yet implications of ocean change for marine reserve planning remain largely unexplored outside of coral reefs. We developed a conceptual framework for considering the impacts of temperature and ocean acidification on spatially explicit marine conservation activities. Understanding the relative and interactive effects of warming and acidification on the probability of dispersal in marine systems is critical to developing effective conservation strategies in a changing world.
Marine Megavertebrates and Marine Food
Little is known about the ecological role of marine megavertebrates. Our work on marine food webs seeks to elucidate interactions among different trophic levels, including top predators, to inform ecosystem-based management efforts that can be applied by local managers. We engage local communities in the study of ecosystem ecology and the implementation of sustainable fishing practices. For example, to understand the impact of whales on commercial fisheries, we develop food web models to examine the potential impact of a reduction in the abundance of great whales on fishery yield. Our approach has been embraced in discussions about establishing appropriate policies for conserving marine megafauna and sustaining fisheries around the globe.