New appointments to Challenge Leadership Team

The Sustainable Seas Governance Group has appointed two new research Theme Leaders to the Challenge Leadership Team.

Dr Karen Fisher will replace Dr Janet Stephenson as leader of the Enabling EBM theme, which focuses on enabling the implementation of EBM in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Karen is a a human geographer and Senior Lecturer in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland. She researches how knowledge is produced and used to inform environmental governance and management in New Zealand. Her work is focused on transdisciplinary approaches to understanding marine social-ecological systems; accommodating different conceptualisations of, and knowledge about, rivers and river management; and the potential for indigenous knowledge to enable just and sustainable river futures.

Assoc Prof Nick Lewis will lead the Creating value from a blue economy theme. This theme explores how to stimulate and grow a blue economy with an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach.

Nick is an economic geographer in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland. His area of interest is the interplay of investment processes, policy and institutions in industry development.