Social-Ecological Regime Shifts and the Governance of Community-Managed Marine Protected Areas: Implications for Ecological Conservation and Community Well-Being

The research will look at the use of community-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) to deal with abrupt and long-term environmental and social changes taking place in the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Merida, Mexico
MPAs have long been used to protect marine species and ecosystems, but their social considerations have yet to be fully studied
Information on the local community’s opinion towards the MPA and its ability to meet environmental and community wellbeing goals will be collected through a survey and semi-structured interviews
The purpose of the research will be to determine the community’s recommendations on the methods that can be used to improve the structure of the MPA, leading to better ecological health and community wellbeing
It is hoped that the outcomes of the research project will support information that feeds possible policy recommendations with the aim of overall improving the effectiveness of MPAs in the long-run
The research objectives are as follows
To understand the abrupt, rapid environmental and social changes taking place in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
To understand the community’s viewpoints on the MPA and its ability to deal with environmental and social change
To determine how the MPA can be improved to better respond to environmental and social changes occurring within the region

Faculty Supervisor:

Prateep Kumar Nayak

Student:

Partner:

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: