Fostering aquatic stewardship through social science research

Aquatic stewardship refers to the caretaking and responsible use of the natural resources provided by aquatic ecosystems. Stewardship occurs on scales ranging from individual actions to state-level management plans to national and international policy. As a few examples, stewardship includes:

• Recreational anglers encouraging younger generations to start fishing and form positive relationships with the environment

• State-level management agencies setting goals that ensure the long-term viability of recreational fisheries

• National-level policies being implemented to conserve aquatic ecosystems and sustainably use the resources they provide

Social science provides valuable information that allows aquatic stewardship to be successful. In my research, I ask questions like: What are the factors that enable individuals to engage in stewardship? How should management agencies prioritize decisions to maximize social and ecological benefits? What are the social outcomes of conservation policies?

I explore these ideas across three primary topical areas: aquatic invasive species prevention; recreational fisheries management, and mangrove governance & conservation. You can learn more about each of these areas at the links below.