PhD Student

Ayana Johnson 

 
Undergraduate Degree:  B.S., Environmental Science and Public Policy

Undergraduate University:  Harvard University

Website: http://picasaweb.google.com/ayanaeliza/CuracaoScienceAdventure

Advisors: Jeremy Jackson and Stuart Sandin

Current Research:   Sustainable Management Options for Curacao’s coral reefs: An ecological and socioeconomic assessment

CONTEXT:  Despite centuries of exploitation, Curaçao’s marine environment is still in good condition  –  especially compared with the rest of the Caribbean.  Although top predators are severely depleted, populations of herbivores and smaller carnivores are still relatively intact, and live coral cover is among the highest in the Caribbean. Fishing pressure is relative low (there are only about 150 fishermen) and the coral reefs are relatively healthy.  This presents a rare opportunity to design a fishery management strategy that is not merely based on triage.

OPPORTUNITY:  Curaçao  is  currently  developing  a  plan  to  manage  its  marine resources,  and  the  Fisheries  Department  is  open  to  input  from  scientists, so  the  timing  is  perfect  for  assessing  the  island’s  fisheries.   Furthermore, fishing  pressure  may  increase  in  the  near  future  as  a  result  of  a  reduction  in  other  employment  options  and/or  an  increase  in  the  market value  of  fish,  so  it  would  be  valuable  to  anticipate  the  implication these economic fluctuations could have for fishery management.  
 
OBJECTIVE: Examine options for the sustainable management of fishing on Curaçao’s coral reefs.   
This project will be divided into the following major components: 
1. an ecological analysis of the trap fishery, 
2.  socioeconomic analysis of the trap and hook‐and‐line fisheries, 
 3. a model predicting ecosystem effects of various harvesting regimes,
 4. a proposal for sustainable management of Curaçao’s fisheries.

   CURRENTLY: I am collecting data to complete the first and second components by:
                        • testing 3 new trap designs against the traditional traps at 3 sites One of the new designs incorporates (as required by the proposed regulations) a small slot intended to reduce bycatch by allowing juveniles and narrow‐bodied species to escape. My research aims to determine whether these slots will be an effective conservation measure.
                 • assessing the fish populations and benthic habitat at each site in order to understand trap selectivity, the structure of the fish community and the effects of current and future fishing.
                • surveying fishermen and gathering government data in order to understand the drivers of fishing behavior, and the profitability of more and less sustainable fishing practices.


NSF Profile Video of Ayana - March 2009  

Selected Publications: