What We Do
Social scientists study the human species – our behavior, our institutions, our relations to one another and the natural world. We seek a better understanding of the human values, actions, communities, and institutions that influence marine and anadromous fish, marine mammals, and other marine species and ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest.
Our research provides data and tools that support NOAA Fisheries and other agencies' regulatory and management decisions, and we contribute scientific work and information to the broader research community and the public.
The Human Dimensions Team conducts economic and sociocultural research spanning a diversity of topics. Our work contributes to:
- Conservation and Recovery planning for Pacific Salmon and Steelhead, Southern Resident Killer Whales, and other endangered or protected species.
- Understanding the contributions of Pacific Coast fishing and ecosystem resources to human well-being.
- Understanding the social and economic impacts of fishery management on fishing communities.
- Design of ecosystem-based fishery management (EBFM) approaches that promote profitability and sustainability of fisheries while minimizing adverse ecosystem impacts.
Our Ongoing Research Projects
- Community Social Vulnerability Indicators for the California Current
- Social Science supporting Fishery Management in West Coast Fisheries
- Human Dimensions of Conservation Planning and Ecosystem Management for Pacific Salmon Recovery
- Human Dimensions of Ecosystem-based Fishery Management
- West Coast Groundfish Trawl Fishery Social Study
- Voices from the West Coast
About Our Team
Our team includes economists as well as social scientists with training in anthropology and environmental policy. We work closely with the Economic and Social Science Research Program in the Center’s Fisheries Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division and collaborate with scientists of multiple disciplines in other NOAA offices, universities, and research institutes.
Contact
Dan Holland (team lead)
