current research.
Moored Fish Aggregating Devices in the Caribbean.
This project is being done in collaboration with colleagues from the Bren School, Molly Wilson, Ignacia Riveria, and Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez.​
Moored Fish Aggregating Device (MFAD) fisheries in the insular Caribbean have expanded dramatically over the past several decades. The use of MFADs has the potential to enhance fisher incomes, improve food security, and provide an alternative to less sustainable forms of fishing. However, there are concerns regarding insufficient management, environmental impacts, and conflict among fishers due to the weak property rights assigned on the MFADs. As MFAD fisheries continue to be promoted and expand throughout the region, it is critical that we better understand the current status of Caribbean MFAD fisheries as well as the various factors that influence MFAD fishery success. Our research addresses significant knowledge gaps around the growth of MFAD fisheries in the Caribbean and develops a framework for assessing the social and biophysical suitability of MFAD fisheries throughout the region.
Enhancing Elasmobranch Conservation through the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
This project is being done in collaboration with Sonja Fordham (Shark Advocates International) and Sandrine Polti through a grant from the Shark Conservation Fund.​
The inclusion of threatened sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) on conservation and management agreements is a relatively new phenomenon, with almost all of this activity occurring over the past decade. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is a global environmental treaty that provides a platform for governments to address the conservation challenges posed by highly migratory species. The first elasmobranch species, Whale Shark, was listed on this agreement in 1999, followed by Great White Shark in 2002 and Basking Shark in 2005. Since 2008, 32 other elasmobranch species have been added to this agreement. For the 21 species listed on Appendix I of the treaty, Parties are obliged to grant strict protections. For the 35 species listed on Appendix II, Parties have committed to work internationally toward conservation and management agreements. Given the veritable explosion of elasmobranch species added to these Appendices over the past decade, the listing of elasmobranchs has outpaced the implementation of conservation commitments. We show this to be true by reviewing (a) progress toward national protection for Appendix I species, and (b) actions and activities through regional conservation and management agreements (such as Regional Fisheries Management Organizations) for Appendix II species. The ultimate goal is to advance the conservation and management of elasmobranchs listed on CMS by providing concrete species-specific and Party-specific recommendations for improvement.