Marine Fellows

Pew Announces 2021 Marine Fellows

Program adds 9 leading ocean conservation researchers

The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation was created to seek solutions to challenges affecting the world’s oceans. This year’s fellows are:

	Amanda Bates, Ph.D. Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada (through June 30) University of Victoria, Canada (starting July 1) Bates will examine the long-term impacts of the pandemic lockdown on marine biodiversity to advance scientific understanding of how humans affect natural systems.
	Rachel T. Graham, Ph.D. MarAlliance, Panama Graham will study shark populations in Panama and will explore innovative strategies to strengthen engagement of coastal fishing communities in shark research, conservation, and management.
	Gakushi Ishimura, Ph.D. Iwate University, Japan Ishimura will examine how fisheries and coastal communities respond to extreme events, such as natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform marine conservation strategies in Japan.
	Mei Lin Neo, Ph.D. National University of Singapore, Singapore Neo will study threats to giant clam populations in Southeast Asia to identify key drivers of ongoing declines and opportunities to improve conservation of these threatened invertebrates.
	Kirsten L.L. Oleson, Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States Oleson will use natural capital accounting to evaluate the contributions of coastal ecosystems to the Hawaiian economy and inform decision-making about and management of marine resources.
	Tries Blandine Razak, Ph.D. IPB University, Indonesia Razak will undertake research to support more effective restoration and conservation of coral reefs in Indonesia.
	Yunne-Jai Shin, Ph.D. French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation, and Conservation research unit, France Shin will develop a comprehensive framework for quantifying uncertainty in ocean ecosystem models to make them more useful as tools for decision-makers.
	Rick Stuart-Smith, Ph.D. University of Tasmania, Australia Stuart-Smith will develop a system to audit the effectiveness of global marine protected areas in delivering the intended benefits for people and biodiversity.
	Wang Songlin, M.Sc. Qingdao Marine Conservation Society, China Wang will conduct ecological and socioeconomic research to support effective conservation and management of China’s Bohai Bay eelgrass bed and will work with local fishers to co-develop eelgrass-friendly fishing practices.