Maricela De la Torre Castro Professor of Natural Resource Management
Contact
Name and title: Maricela De la Torre CastroProfessor of Natural Resource Management
Mail: maricela@natgeo.su.se
Phone: +468161748
ORCID0000-0002-6990-6682 Länk till annan webbplats.
Workplace: Department of Physical Geography Länk till annan webbplats.
Visiting address Room T408Svante Arrhenius väg 8
Postal address Inst för naturgeografi 106 91 Stockholm
About me
My research is about coastal/ocean management & governance.
I am intersted in human-nature interactions in marine environments. My research applies a coupled view of humans embedded in nature (SES). Originally an oceanologist, I cooperate with social scientists to adress core sustainability challenges; such as the sustainable use of marine resources and their management & governance.
I am particularly interested on institutional dynamics both formal and informal and how they manifest in the coastal space and in management agencies. Empirically, I work with seagrasses and seascapes, mainly in East Africa, but with a great interest for the Baltic Sea and Mexico. In my research I use hybrid methods to address the complexity of the above themes.
My projects have focused on seagrasses' ecosystem goods and services; seascapes in development tropical countries; gender in coastal areas, adaptive capacity, climate change, gender in coastal management (mainly within MPAs marine protected areas) and the blue economy.
Key words: Coastal zone management and governance, seagrass ecology and societal importance, social-ecological systems, sustainable development in coastal communities, seascape governance & management, small-scale fisheries, institutional dynamics, poverty and gender.
Themes of my present projects:
- The blue economy and livelihoods
- Gender in coastal environments (Climate change, resource use, conservation, MPAs)
- Seagrass ecology and societal importance
- Ecosystem goods and services in tropical seascapes
- Small-scale fisheries social-ecological dynamics
- High value marine products such as sea-cucumbers
- Seascape management and governance
Education and academic positions:
BSc. Oceanology Honors (Universidad Autonoma de Baja California)
MSc. Natural Resurce Management (Stockholm University)
PhD. Natural Resurce Management (Stockholm University)
Docent/Associate professor. Natural Resurce Management (Stockholm University, 2012)
Professor in Natural Resource Management (Stockholm University, 2020)
Long term visiting scientist: UDSM, University of Dar es Salaam, Institute of Marine Sciences IMS
Vision:
A world in which natural values are recognized and protected for the benefit of humanity and other species.
A world in which science provides robust data and analysis as an input for positive societal development.
A world that really cares about the future generations.
Teach in the following courses/programs:
Management of Ecosystem Services
Environmental Management for BIOGEO students
Scientific methods in Physical Geography
Climate and Society
CIVIS BIP (Coordination by Greece) "Climate change and coastal landscape evolution in the Mediterranean context".
Responsible for the master/magister program in Environmental Health Protection
(2012 - 2018)
Responsible for the master program in Landscape Ecology
(2016 - 2020)
Responsible for the tropical course at DEEP
(2005-2011)
With opportunities for masters, internships, and others....
EXTERNAL FINANCED PROJECTS (a selection)
The “Blue economy” in tropical seascapes: livelihoods and transformation in a context of climate change. Principal INvestigator. Vetenskapsrådet, VR. (2022-2026).
Social-ecological analysis of gendered effects of Marine Protected Areas - SEAgender. Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Principal Investigator. Vetenskapsrådet, VR. (2019-2024).
Gender, fishing communities and adaptive capacity to climate change in Zanzibar, Tanzania and Inhaca Mozambique. Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Principal Investigator. Vetenskapsrådet, VR. (closing Dec 2018).
WATERMAS: Water Management and Climate Change in the Focus of International Master Programs. Funded by EU, ERASMUS program. Co-applicant. (PI: Steve Lyon). (2018-2020).
Seagrass biodiversity, social-ecological systems and poverty alleviation: a collaborative, comparative study in the Indo-Pacific.Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Co-applicant (PI: Johan Eklöf). (2018-2020).
Establishing an Indo-Pacific Seagrass Network (IPSN) to assess linkages among marine biodiversity, ecosystem services and poverty. Funded by the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Collaborator (PI: Lina Mtwana Nordlund). (2018-2020).
PREVIOUS RESEARCH PROJECTS
- Chwaka book design and edition (2012). Western Indian Ocean Marine Scientists Association (WIOMSA).
- Driving forces behind the exploitation of sea urchins predators 2011. Results dissemination grant. Western Indian Ocean Marine Scientists Association (WIOMSA).
- Fighting with big issues: Adaptive capacity of the poor to global climate change. Sida financed project. 2009. Planning grant.
- Conservation and poverty reduction in East Africa: women’s role in coastal livelihoods. Sida financed project (2009-2011).
- Opening windows and closing doors –Poverty reduction strategies in coastal communities in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Sida financed project (2007-2009).
- The role of seagrasses for coastal communities: Ecological, economical and institutional aspects in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Sida financed project for doctoral research (2003-2007).
- Seagrass beds in the islands from WIO: biodiversity resources. Main cooperation with Reunion University. Funded by IFB/CNRS/IRD. 200,000 Euro. Awarded as a group. Project leader P. Frouin (Reunion University), Investigators: M. de la Torre-Castro, Bourmaud, AFC., Hily, C., Bigot L., Pothin C., Gilbert D., et al.
- Seagrass and sea urchin interactions overgrazing and resource use in the Western Indian Ocean Region (WIO) (2007-2010). Western Indian Ocean Marine Scientists Association (WIOMSA). 100,000 USD. Awarded as a group. Project leader J. Uku (Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute KMFRI), Investigators: M. de la Torre-Castro, Bandeira S., Lyimo T., Eklöf J. Gullström M. and M. Björk.
- Sea cucumbers, a poorly understood but important coastal resource: national and regional analyses to improve management in the WIO. Marine Science for Management (MASMA) and Western Indian Ocean Marine Scientists Association (WIOMSA). Awarded as a group. Project leader: N. Muthiga (Kenya Wildlife Service) and C. Conand (Reunion University). Main investigators: M. De la Torre-Castro, Y. Mgaya, P. Frouin, J. Ochiewo, et al. Finished 2009.
- Sustainable management and valuation of seagrass ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean. Marine Science for Management (MASMA) and Western Indian Ocean Marine Scientists Association (WIOMSA). Awarded as a group. Project leader Bandeira S (Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique), Main investigators: M. de la Torre-Castro, Lyimo T., M. Björk. Finished 2004.
TOGETHER WITH DOCTORAL STUDENTS:
Hampus Eriksson. Managing sea cucumber fisheries and aquaculture - Studies of social-ecological systems in the Western Indian Ocean. (Defended 2012).
Sara Fröcklin. Women in the seascape - Gender, livelihoods, and management of coastal and marine resources in Zanzibar, East Africa. (Defended 2014).
Sieglind Wallner. Fishing for sustainability: Towards transformation of seagrass-associated small-scale fisheries. (Defended 2017).
Benjamin Jones. Of seagrass and society : exploring contributions of tropical seagrass meadows to food security. (Defended 2022).
Felicity Pike. Gender in marine protected areas : implications for conservation and sustainability in a changing ocean. (Defended 2025).