I am originally from traditional Dena’ina lands (Homer, Alaska) where I grew up in a salmon fishing family. My work and interests stem from a close relationship with fish, fish places, fish people and an intrinsic drive to question power.

By discipline, I am best described as a human ecologist, meaning I’m interested in the many facets of human-environmental relationships. I specialize in qualitative research and am interested in critically exploring problems related to marine social-ecological systems, particularly within fisheries and coastal community contexts. I have also developed a portfolio of knowledge mobilization skills and approaches that I implement within most projects.

I earned my Bachelor of Science (Natural Resource Management) and Master’s of Science (Environmental Ethnography) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. My PhD was earned as part of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions ITN at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

I came to Canada in 2019 as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Guelph on Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe territory (Guelph, Ontario).

In July of 2022 I joined the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia), where I now work as an Assistant Professor in the Marine Affairs Program.

My work and research is in service to managers and communities (including communities of practice). If you have a natural resource topic or problem and are looking for collaboration with a social scientist, please get in touch!

Danilo is a 2025/2026 Masters of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Originally from Toronto, Danilo has pursued a variety of interests from biology to acting and developed a passion for nature through exploring the wild areas of Ontario. After completing a BSc (hons.) in Animal Behaviour at the University of Western Ontario in 2023, Danilo looked to further his education emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of his interests.

This led Danilo to the Master of Marine Management Program and an internship in the Fish People Place Lab where he hopes to combine academic training with community-engaged experiences. By conducting research and forwarding knowledge mobilization in the areas of salmon conservation and coastal access, Danilo hopes to increase awareness of issues that affect the connection between people and their environment.

Sinead is a 2025/2026 Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Growing up in South Africa, Sinead spent her summers at the beach or in the African bush, sparking a deep-rooted passion for conservation and ecology. In 2023, Sinead completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) at Trent University earning a joint major in Biology and Environmental & Resource Science with a specialization in Conservation Biology. Recently, her travels to Mozambique and the Caribbean prompted her interest in marine management and conservation. This led Sinead to pursue the Master of Marine Management Program.

Throughout her summers, Sinead gained valuable experience working in an aquatic research lab and interning with local conservation organizations. These opportunities provided her with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, while also deepening her understanding of the crucial role that conservation management plays. Working in the FishPeoplePlace lab, Sinead hopes to improve her understanding of aquatic ecosystems from a human dimension perspective. Sinead’s research will focus on aquatic invasive species management strategies in the Margaree River watershed.

Anthea is a 2025/2026 Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Growing up in Switzerland, Anthea gained an appreciation for the outdoors going on hikes and ski touring on the weekends with her family. In 2023, Anthea earned her Bachelor of Arts & Science in Geography and Environmental Sciences from McGill University. Her travel to Barbados during her undergrad for a field project, prompted her interest in marine management, conservation and scientific diving. Post-graduation Anthea went to Indonesia to study elasmobranchs and their migration patterns and take part in coral health monitoring and conservation. These projects led Anthea to pursue the Master of Marine Management Program.

In her free time, Anthea tries to spend as much time as possible by the coast, whether it be by hiking, surfing, or scuba diving. This led her to becoming really interested in coastal access.  As such, Anthea has joined the FishPeoplePlace Lab as a graduate student researcher looking at assessing coastal access in Nova Scotia by creating a map of land use changes on ArcGIS. The project aims to assess the challenges of regulating and preserving access to coastal areas while balancing private landowners' rights with public needs, and addressing any equity and environmental concerns.

Description gMichael is a 2024/2025 Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Growing up in Toronto, Michael gained an appreciation for the outdoors and aquatic ecosystems through weekend camping and fishing trips with his dad and siblings. This enthusiasm seamlessly transitioned into Michael's academic journey during his undergraduate years. In 2022, he successfully earned his BSc (Hons.) in Biology with a minor in Geography from Queen’s University.

One of Michael’s research interests is salmonid species, in their ecology and biology, but also in the importance they hold for people. As such, Michael has joined the FishPeoplePlace Lab as a graduate student researcher on the “Tilling Wild Waters” project. This project aims to understand the underlying motivations and values within communities who stock Atlantic salmon in the Maritimes. Through understanding their “why”, policy can be shaped to incorporate these human dimensions when considering the future of Atlantic salmon conservation measures.

Michael successfully completed his MMM degree in December, 2024 and now works with the FPP Lab as a researcher. You can read his graduate project here. Michael now works as the watershed coordinator for the Margaree Salmon Association.

Cara is a 2023-2025 Master of International Development Studies candidate at Dalhousie University. As an interdisciplinary program, the International Development program allows students to branch into many different sectors. This has allowed Cara to bridge her love an interest in coastal spaces with her passion for social justice, social-ecological connectivity, and climate adaptation by joining the FishPeoplePlace Lab. Her Bachelor’s degree in Global Resource Systems from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia (conferred in May 2023) has inspired her to pay special attention to the response of the food system and food system workers to the themes in her thesis research.

Cara’s experience working in Search and Rescue for the Canadian Coast Guard exposed her to the interface between the sea-going people of the maritime provinces and the ocean, and evoked a deeper questioning of how this connection affects the ways that people along the coast are adapting to the changing climate (including erosion, increased storm frequency and severity, flooding, etc.). She successfully defended her thesis in March, 2025.

Ireland is a 2024-2025 Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Although she grew up far from the ocean in Calgary, Alberta, her love for the marine environment was fostered by vacations to the coast and Blue Planet documentaries. This passion drove Ireland to the University of New Brunswick where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology with a minor in Zoology. Her passion for conservation led her to pursue the marine management program as she recognizes that the change she wants to see starts with management.

Ireland’s interest in conservation helped shape her graduate project titled “Examining federal policy surrounding the potential impacts to wild Atlantic salmon from enhancement programs.” She completed her degree in December, 2024. You can read her graduate project work here.

Abby is a 2024-2025 Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Hailing from beautiful Prince Edward Island, Abby fell in love with the ocean from an early age. Coming from a coastal community with family members who depend on the ocean for their livelihood, she was able to see firsthand the importance of conserving the ocean to not only preserve ecosystems, but to preserve social and cultural ways of life.

These experiences led Abby to the University of New Brunswick where she graduated with an undergraduate degree in marine biology with honours. During her summers, Abby had the privilege of working for local conservation organizations, enriching her understanding of effective management strategies for harmonizing ecological preservation with societal needs. For her graduate project, Abby worked with the Halifax Port Authority and FishPeoplePlace Lab to examine aquatic ecosystems on or around the port.

She completed her MMM degree in December, 2024 and currently works for the Port of Halifax. You can read her graduate project work here. Abby now works for Research Nova Scotia with the Halifax Port Authority.

Ojas is a 2024-2025 Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University. Despite growing up in the desert state of India, his early fascination with oceans and ships ignited a passion for marine environments. After earning his bachelor’s degree in marine engineering in 2016, Ojas embarked on a seven-year journey as a merchant naval engineering officer, accumulating invaluable experience at sea.

Driven by his dedication to ocean sustainability, Ojas transitioned into academia to contribute to conservation and sustainability efforts. His graduate project, "Network Analysis and Stakeholder Mapping for North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation," focuses on gathering data on collaboration, compiling information on participants in multi-stakeholder and rightsholder committees, and employing social network analysis to develop a collaboration network matrix of groups involved in North Atlantic right whale conservation. As part of the FishPeoplePlace Lab, Ojas applied these skills during an internship with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, furthering his commitment to protecting marine ecosystems. Ojas completed his MMM degree in December, 2024. You can read his graduate project work here.

Katherine graduated as a Master of Resource and Environmental Management in May 2024. Growing up in the Greater Toronto Area, their connection to nature was fostered by their close family and community through storytelling, which became a passion for communications and environmental science.

Katherine earned their Bachelor of Science at University of Guelph in Environmental Biology. By integrating her passion for communications and academic background, Katherine has undertaken leadership roles in science communication, focusing on environmental education, public engagement, youth outreach, and social media marketing.
Katherine now works as a policy analyst for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Brianna graduated with a Master of Marine Management in May 2024. During her time in the FishPeoplePlace community, she was a Sobey Fund for Oceans Scholarship recipient at Dalhousie University. She graduated from Mount Allison University in 2022 with a BSc (Hons.) in Biology. Brianna grew up in Nova Scotia – Canada’s ocean playground – which developed into a lifelong love of the sea. She is happiest at the beach, wading through the waves to look for shells and marine life.

Brianna has a keen interest in native species conservation and invasive species management in Atlantic Canada. Her master’s work focused on the green crab, which is found along the shores of each Atlantic province and threatens native species biodiversity and important commercial fisheries. Brianna investigated how Atlantic Canadian green crab fisheries could be used as a form of invasive species management. She completed her degree in December 2023. Click here to read her graduate project.