Research Areas
Lobstering in New England amidst environmental shifts
Lobster landings in Long Island Sound have plummeted by more than 90% since 1998, associated in part with climate change and warming temperatures. This fishery decline has devastated the lobster industry and the livelihoods it has historically supported in local Connecticut communities, yet research has been limited on the cultural values connected to this collapse. Our lab is surveying and interviewing former and current lobster fishers about the economic and cultural significance provided by lobstering and local marine ecosystems.
Ecological and social drivers of bearded pig distributions
Collaborators and I are investigating the ecological (e.g. tree cover, temperature, elevation) and social (e.g. ethnicity, religion, population density) factors tied to distributions of threatened bearded pigs at multiple scales in Borneo. To do this, we are taking an interdisciplinary approach, using camera traps, GPS collars, population genetic models, and interviews with hunters in both mixed forest-oil palm and primary forest landscapes. We hope that the patterns we find will assist with policies that provide fair access to bearded pig meat while also conserving the ecological needs of this nomadic, mysterious Suid species.
Tropical land-use change impacts on biodiversity in mixed landscapes
I have been involved in several projects investigating the impact of land-use change on biodiversity in Central America and Southeast Asia. For example, I have examined the effects of heart of palm plantations and pasture on reptiles and amphibians in Costa Rica, and the impact of replanting in oil palm plantations on frog assemblages in Indonesia. By helping understand and mitigate tropical land-use change in mixed mosaic areas, these projects support healthy working landscapes for agricultural production and for wildlife communities.
