I recently completed my masters research with the Fisheries Ecology Research Lab at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa (United States), and I am joining LECAR for 2015 as a US
Fulbright Scholar. I am interested in spatial ecological dynamics and factors that impact reef
fish assemblages and ecosystem functions, particularly anthropogenic impacts. My
previous work has incorporated remote sensing technology with fisheries ecology studies,
and I enjoy the integration of geospatial mapping in my research.
My masters research was an investigation of reef fish nursery habitat and the links between
benthic habitat and juvenile fish abundance. The project had a strong element of
application to conservation, and the work was used to inform community-based resource
management efforts. Application of research is important to me, and my career aspirations
are driven by the goal to directly apply my work towards ecosystem management, and to
research and explore how natural ecological processes can be most effectively conserved.
In my work with LECAR, I will be carrying out a spatial mapping project that integrates
various types of existing data for the coastal area of Arraial do Cabo in an effort to prioritize
potential areas for No Take protection designation. The project will draw on social and
biological / ecological data, and aims to identify and spatially visualize areas of ecological
importance, high user conflict, recreational and economic value, and management
feasibility. The intent is to gather and analyze existing spatial data in order to inform
development of a management plan for the local Reserva Extrativista (RESEX), or extractive
reserve.
Curriculum
Formal Education | Degree
2012-2015
Master of Science in Marine Biology
Marine Biology Graduate Program
University of Hawaii at Manoa. Year of degree: 2015.
Advisor: Alan M. Friedlander
2004-2008
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science
Specialization: Terrestrial ecology
Oregon State University
University Honors College
Professional Experience
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brasil
2015 – present Fulbright US Student Program Scholar
Research affiliation with Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação de Ambientes Recifais
University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States
2012 – 2015 Research assistant | Fisheries Ecology Research Lab
Projects
- Reef fish nursery habitat identification and benthic habitat mapping | Link
- NSF Coastal SEES: Local Ecological Knowledge and ecosystem resilience to
climate change in Pacific Islands | Link
- Assessing lay-gillnet regulations on protected and unprotected areas on windward O’ahu | Link
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
2011 Field Research Assistant, Intertidal Ecology
Oregon State University, College of Forestry
2010 Remote Sensing Research Analyst, Forest Health
Projects
Reef fish nursery habitat identification and benthic habitat mapping
Description: The project was an investigation of the relationships between juvenile fish and
benthic habitats, as a way of spatially identifying potential areas of nursery habitat for
species of interest to management efforts. The project incorporated in situ ecological
surveys and remote sensing habitat mapping to inform local fisheries management efforts
in a Hawaiian community.
NSF Coastal SEES: Local Ecological Knowledge and ecosystem resilience to climate
change in Pacific Islands
Description: This is a large, multidisciplinary NSF project that draws on social and
ecological datasets (land and sea) to develop spatially explicit ecosystem service models to
explore effects of different local management and climate change scenarios on ecosystem
resilience. The portion of the project I participated in was an examination of marine
ecological states – past, present, and future – and an investigation of the links between
culture / resource management and ecosystem health.
email: whitneygoodell@gmail.com |
