I am a PhD candidate with the Transdisciplinary Sustainability program at Grenfell Campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland. I was also part of the Future Ocean Coastal Infrastructure Project funded by the Ocean Frontier Institute, Canada.
My work is guided by a simple conviction: that people and communities carry remarkable resilience and creativity, and that they can imagine and build futures even in the face of profound uncertainty. At its core, my PhD investigates the past, present and future relationships of Fogo Islanders with seaweed in their ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. The project is co-created with the Town of Fogo Island, which is interested in critical perspectives to inform local policy in the context of growing discussions that frame seaweed farming as a future economic diversification strategy.
I have been living on Fogo Island for the past year for an immersive place-based research experience and reflexive practice. I draw on transdisciplinary approaches that combine critical future studies, film studies, ocean governance, ethnography, participatory mapping and foresight to gather stories, memories, everyday practices, traditional knowledge and anticipation of people connected to seaweed. In this way, my research seeks to hold together the past, present, and emerging futures of Fogo Island’s relationship with the ocean.