Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy - Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
My work focuses on management of coastal areas, including mechanisms to increase institutional cooperation, capacity building, development of management plans, and reduction of conflicts between various resource users. Marine and coastal protected areas and adaptation to climate change are additional areas of my work. I dedicate much of my effort to work in the Caribbean Basin and Latin America but also work around the world.
My undergraduate work in Chemistry and Latin American Studies was at Middlebury College (1972). I earned Masters degrees in Education and Latin American Studies from Columbia University (1978), a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California, San Diego), and a J.D. with specialization in Environmental Law from the University of California, Berkeley (1991).
Education
| 1972 | B.A. Chemistry and Latin American Studies, Middlebury College |
| 1978 | M.A. M.Ed. Education and Latin American Studies, Columbia University |
| 1991 | Ph.D. Oceanography, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California, San Diego) |
| 1991 | J.D. Environmental Law, University of California, Berkeley |
Research Projects
2021 – Development of the Management Plan for the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve and the Coral Ecosystem Conservation Area, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Principal Investigator
2021 - Building Native American and Global Indigenous Studies at the University of Miami U-LINK (University of Miami Laboratory for INtegrative Knowledge). Co-Principal Investigator
2019-2020 - Developing Integrated Solutions for Sustainably Feeding the World, Improving Coastal Water Quality, and Building Resiliency in Coastal Communities. U-LINK (University of Miami Laboratory for INtegrative Knowledge). Co-Principal Investigator
2012-2013 - History and Evolution of Land Use in Panama: Social and Environmental Implications for Panama Today. SENACYT (National Secretariat for Science and Technology – Panamá). Co-Principal Investigator
2012-2013 – Emerging Market for Ecosystem Services in the LACC Region: Investigating Models for Optimal Design. Miami Consortium for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Co-Principal Investigator
2010–2011 – Development of the Coastal Management Plan for the Azuero Peninsula, Panamá. Government of Panama/Inter-American Development Bank. Co-Principal Investigator
2010 – Analysis of the Legal Enforcement Chain in Belize Marine Protected Areas, Conservation International. Principal Investigator
2009-2010 – Establishment of the Inter-Institutional Coordination Unit (UCI) and the Conservation and Enforcement Units (UCV) of the Panamanian Aquatic Resources Authority (ARAP), IDB-ARAP. Principal Investigator
2009 – Analysis of the Legal Enforcement Chain in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (Galápagos, Mapelo, Gorgona, Coiba, and Cocos Islands and MPAs), Conservation International & WildAid. Co-Principal Investigator
2008-2009 – Development of the Land Use Plan for the District of Bocas del Toro, Panamá, IDB/Programa de Desarrollo Sostenible de Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Co-Principal Investigator
2008-2011 – Organization and Administration of Academic Exchange Programs on Water Resources Management between the University of Miami and Kunming University (Asian International Rivers Centre) and the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology (Vietnam). Principal Investigator
2007 – 2008 - Director of the Coastal Management Project in Bocas del Toro Province, Panama. Government of Panama/Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
2006 – Evaluation of the Governance Framework of Coiba National Park, Panama. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute & Conservation International. Principal Investigator
2006-2007 – Ten-Year Restudy of Attitudes and Perceptions of User Groups of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA. Co-Principal Investigator
2002 – 2004 – Director of the Coastal Management 2002-2003 Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas, Autoridad Marítima de Panamá. Elaboration of an Integrated Coastal Management Plan for the Gulf of San Miguel, Darién, and Adjacent Zones
2001-2004 - US Department of Education FIPSE Grant, US-Brazil Consortium in Marine Policy. Co-Principal Investigator
2001-2002 - V. Kahn Rasmussen Foundation Grant, Program on Development and the Environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Co-Principal Investigator
2000 - University of Miami Faculty Research Grant, Comparison of the Sanctuary Advisory Council Processes in the Florida Keys and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries. Principal Investigator
1999-2001 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Effects of ENSO Events on Peruvian Social Economics and Legal Systems, Co-Principal Investigator
1998 - North-South Center, University of Miami, Institutional Analysis of Coastal Management in Panama. Principal Investigator
1997-98 - University of Miami Faculty Research Grant, Review of Criminal and Civil Penalties for Managing Recreational Use of the Spiny Lobster Fishery in the Florida Keys, Principal Investigator. Co-Principal Investigator
1996 - National Pollution Prevention Center, University of Michigan, Compendium and Case Studies on Coastal Pollution Prevention, Principal Investigator
1995-98 - U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program, Ecological and Socio-Economic Impacts of Alternative Access Management Strategies in Marine Protected Areas, Co-Principal Investigator
1995-96 - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Adaptations of Fishing Sectors to the Impacts of El Niño Climate Variations: The Case of Chile, Co-Principal Investigator
1995 - Tinker Foundation, Workshop on Experiences with Mangrove Management Techniques in Central America, Principal Investigator ($20,000 for one year)
1993 - University of Miami Faculty Research Grant, User Conflicts in the Florida Keys in Light of the Implementation of the National Marine Sanctuary. Principal Investigator
1992 - James W. McLamore Award, National Implementation of Regional Marine Pollution Conventions: The Case of the Paris Convention. Principal Investigator.
1992 - Tinker Foundation, Workshops on Management of Coastal Wetlands in the Tropical Americas. Co-Principal Investigator.
1992 - National Science Foundation, Case Study Laboratory Materials for Teaching Scientists Decision Making Skills in Environmental and Marine Policy. Co-Principal Investigator.
1986 - Boston University Faculty Research Award, The Use of Th-230 as a paleoindicator. Principal Investigator.
1981 - Organization of American States Research Fellowship, Charcoal Production from Agricultural Burning in Central Panama.
