What Happens When We Fish Too Much

Duke Ph.D. candidate Dana Grieco discusses the impacts of overfishing and climate change on marine ecosystems, and how marine conservation is used to mitigate those effects.

Grieco grew up around water, and she makes connecting with the people who live in coastal communities a central part of her research.

“Being around the water and really getting to know folks who are deeply, personally impacted by changes to fishing regulations and fishing pressure and understanding how the folks that are on the water every day often have a better understanding of what's going on in the ocean than the rest of us that are on land, even if we're working really hard to study it,” she said.

“That approach helped me to grow such an appreciation for all of the knowledge that is gained from coastal communities, all of the knowledge that coastal communities have, and how sometimes that's not listened to or not used appropriately. It’s not just talking to fishers, but also talking to people who are on the coast every day, talking to people who are working in all different facets of the fishing industry.”

Coastal communities are like an early warning system for climate change. The people working on the water see the changes before many others. Grieco said their experience are important in understanding the science of climate change and crafting policy recommendations.

“They see the changes that are coming and they're working to help create a better future, but they also still need to provide food and livelihoods, and they're worried about their own well-being. All of those things are such huge impacts of how we keep our oceans healthy, and... they sometimes get the shorter end of the stick.

“When we're thinking about protecting the ocean, we often don't think about who the people are and their role in the way we protect the ocean. We need their knowledge and their support to do that.”