image: University of Miami Ph.D. student Mandy Karnauskas, winner of the best poster award at the 2010 Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, speaking with a fisherman in the Carribean, where much of her work on evolving perceptions of fish abundance around marine reserves is based. view more
Credit: UM/RSMAS
MIAMI – December 6, 2010 - Mandy Karnauskas, a Ph.D. student at the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami, won the best student poster award at the 2010 Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) meeting held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Karnauskas' presentation, titled "Comparison between abundance estimates from underwater visual census and catch per unit effort in a patch reef system," is based on her graduate research in Glover's Reef in Belize to help understand why fishers and scientists often have different perceptions of change in fish abundance around marine reserves. The $1500 award will be put toward travel to the 2011 GCFI conference in Mexico.
A former Peace Corps volunteer in Haiti, Karnauskas' study in collaboration with her advisor, Rosenstiel assistant professor Elizabeth Babcock, focuses on identifying new scientific indicators to measure the effectiveness of marine reserves to improve fisheries. Karnauskas' research will help improve marine resource management programs in developing countries.
Karnauskas co-authored a second presentation at this year's GCFI conference based upon work with RSMAS alumnus Peter Chaibongsai and NOAA Fisheries scientist Juan Agar. The presentation, titled "High-profit pelagic fisheries lure artisanal fishers into cycles of debt, risk, and climate vulnerability," aims to improve sustainability of ocean fisheries by working with small fishing communities in the Dominican Republic.
GCFI was founded in 1947 to promote the exchange of current information on the use and management of marine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region. From its beginning, GCFI has endeavored to involve scientific, governmental, and commercial sectors to provide a broad perspective on relevant issues, and to encourage dialogue among groups that often operate in relative isolation from one another.
About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School
The University of Miami's mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, please visit www.rsmas.miami.edu.