Hilary Lohmann’s (MAMA ’15) thesis research was recently published in the journal Ocean & Coastal Management: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569116301624.

Hilary’s research considered the similarities and differences amongst coastal people of the Dominican Republic in their vulnerabilities and adaptive capacity to climate change. Many indicators of adaptive capacity like attachment to place and ability to plan, learn, and reorganize, are similarly experienced by coastal residents. However, direct resource users, like fishermen and those in tourism, were more attached to their occupation than non-direct resource users in the community. This reflects less willingness or interest in changing occupation. Individuals who were the sole providers of income for their households exhibited lower financial security than those who lived with other income providers. Financial insecurity makes occupation change riskier, and individuals less able to adapt to changes in livelihood.

Hilary is a NOAA Coral Management Fellow working at the East End Marine Park in St Croix, USVI. She supports the management of the park by organizing citizen science programs and a non-profit Friends of the Park group.