CONTACT INFORMATION Fisheries scientist Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) Pakefield Rd, Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK www.cefas.defra.gov.uk Email: rosana.ourens@cefas.co.uk Skype: rosanaourens ResearchGate: Rosana Ouréns |
I have been passionate about the sea and marine biology since childhood as I grew up in a coastal village in Galicia (NW Spain) where small-scale fisheries (SSF) are the major economic activity. From an early age I realized the vulnerability of the oceans to over-exploitation, but also the social and economic importance of the fisheries for the development of the coastal communities. With this concern in mind, I decided to become a fishery biologist dedicated to the sustainable exploitation of marine ecosystems.
I obtained my BSc in Ocean Science in 2005 (University of Vigo, Spain), and my PhD in marine biology in 2013 (University of A Coruña, Spain). In my PhD dissertation I studied the population dynamics and life history traits of the European sea urchin as well as their implications for the effectiveness of the fisheries management in Galicia. Besides my PhD research work, I was also involved in several research projects coordinated by my research group where I gained additional experience in fisheries research. In 2014 I began a 2-year postdoc research in Crowder Lab, at Hopkins Marine Station (Stanford University). There I worked with an interdisciplinary team made up of ecologists, biologists and social scientists, analyzing the institutional and social arrangements that affect the governance capacity in fisheries, and finally their sustainability. This new experience provided me a holistic understanding of fisheries and the different components (institutional, socio-economic and ecological) to take into account in fisheries assessment and management. Currently I work as a fisheries scientist at Cefas. The main goal of my team is to investigate the biology of the most important shellfish resources in UK and assess their stocks. This information is essential to advise the British government in fisheries management. Information more detailed about the projects where I was involved can be found in the Research section. |