Fri, October 23, 2020 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM See description. IOF Seminar Series: http://bit.ly/IOFseminars
PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION WILL NOT BE RECORDED AT SPEAKER'S REQUEST
Maine's lobster fishery is the most valuable in the United States, and is the economic and cultural heart of the Maine coast. Lobster populations have been stable and increasing over decades, but warming waters associated with climate change are predicted to cause crashes in this fishery. Experts have highlighted the need for adaptation, but it isn't clear how stakeholders view the impact of warming waters on the lobster fishery. This talk will describe the results of interview based and historical archival research in Maine that addresses the questions: How do key stakeholders prioritize warming waters and climate change? What makes fishers likely to adapt? and What is the role of history in shaping adaptation? Interview results show that Maine lobster fishers have observed warming waters but many are not planning to adapt, and those who plan to adapt have fundamentally different views of the role of humans in marine ecosystems. Mental models reveal that fishing communities prioritize warming water less than other drivers, and often describe temperature as cyclical. Historical analyses support these views.Temperature has fluctuated in the past with recorded impacts on local fisheries, and these place-based memories help explain a lack of alignment of stakeholder views with those outside of the fishery calling for adaptation.
Speaker: Dr. Loren McClenachan
Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Colby College