Ota and Alum Dr. Steven Hare ’88 Help to Author New Piece
SMEA Research Assistant Professor Dr. Yoshitaka Ota and Dr. Steven Hare ’88 are among the authors of a new piece published this summer in Nature Sustainability. Their work helps to examine the options tuna-dependent Pacific Island fisheries have in the face of a changing climate. The team of authors of “Pathways to sustaining tuna-dependent Pacific Island economies during climate change”, provide compelling data that a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to slow the loss of tuna biomass in currently, commonly fished areas surrounding the Pacific Islands.
Dr. Ota serves as an advisor to SMEA students, helps to guide thesis research for students, and also holds the role of Director of Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Center. His contributions to the piece stem from his primary research interest in strengthening social equity in ocean governance given the changing global environment. The Ocean Nexus Center is one member of the Earth Lab at UW, a consortium of organizations aimed at using innovative solutions to provide more equitable and just approaches in the face of global climate change. Earth Lab does this “by connecting across sectors and academic disciplines to inspire and incentivize new partnerships that bridge the UW and the wider community”.
Dr. Steven Hare is a 1988 graduate of SMEA, and went on to earn his PhD from the School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences at UW. Most recently, Dr. Hare has served as the Senior Fisheries Scientist for The Pacific Community (SPC). His work involves the analysis and interpretation of biological data and fisheries statistics to guide the regional and sub-regional management fisheries agencies in the South Pacific.
A link to the piece in Nature Sustainability is here.