Ecosystem-Based Management

June 2014 update: Mexico coupled systems research

Members of our team continue to share our findings with fishermen, resource managers, conservation practitioners, and other experts in the communities in the vicinity of Loreto, Espiritu Santo, and Cabo Pulmo National Parks, where we have conducted extensive ecological and social science research. In January 2014, for example, as part of an effort to report […]

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Heather contributes to SNAP

Heather has written an inaugural article for the new online magazine, SNAP: Science for Nature and People. SNAP is a new collaboration between The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Center for Ecology Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), and will deliver rapid, implementable results. The goal of SNAP is to demonstrate how protecting nature can enhance human well-being. Read […]

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How to fund science outreach

See COMPASS’ most recent post for tips on funding science outreach and engagement activities. Heather offers a couple tips based on her experience communicating the science and practice of ecosystem-based management…

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Field Notes from Loreto

August 2013  The fishermen motored into the beach at Agua Verde before first light. Most unloaded their catch of huachinango into the ice filled truck before I awoke, but I caught sight of one of the last pangas, manned by Geronimo Lara Collins, a sturdy man with a broad smile, as he and his boat […]

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Gulf of California Project Update

We have new papers, new collaborations, and new data to share…. read more! To see more of Octavio’s amazing photographs, like the one to the right from National Geographic, go to http://octavioaburto.com/#

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Market demand can benefit both people and nature

Heather Leslie, assistant professor of environmental studies and biology, says it’s a mistake to assume market forces and sustainability must always be at loggerheads. In a recently published paper in Ecological Applications, Leslie and a group of researchers showed that small-scale fisheries near La Paz, Mexico, could earn a premium for fish that fit nicely […]

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Smith Fellows Application due September 20

Prof. Heather Leslie of Brown University invites applications from potential Smith Fellows, to address topics related to large scale ecosystem restoration, marine spatial planning, and ecosystem-based management. Please see http://www.conbio.org/mini-sites/smith-fellows/apply/proposal-guidelines for the application guidelines. Contact Heather_Leslie@brown.edu to discuss potential proposals and partners in conservation organizations and academia.

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National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan released

On April 16th, the National Ocean Council released the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan, which describes specific actions US Federal agencies will take to address key ocean challenges, give states and communities greater input in Federal decisions, streamline Federal operations, save taxpayer dollars, and promote economic growth.  

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Reflections on coastal resilience

Coastal communities and the coastal marine ecosystems of which they are part are in jeopardy. Superstorm Sandy was one of the most examples of the powerful effects of coastal storms on people, property, and ecosystems in coastal areas. In the face of such storms and other pressures on coastal communities, what can be done? How […]

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Coastal Resilience at AAAS

Hurricane Sandy was a fearsome reminder that coastal communities are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and environmental variability and that vulnerability is only expected to increase with climate change. Brown University scientists Heather Leslie and Leila Sievanen, members of an interdisciplinary research team focused on human-environment interactions in coastal regions, discussed these challenges at […]

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