Dr. Jennnifer Jackman Co-edits Frontiers in Conservation Science Research Topic on Marine Mammals

Professor Jennifer Jackman (Politics, Policy and International Relations) co-edited, with Drs. Andrea Bogomolni (University of Massachusetts-Boston and Massachusetts Maritime Academy) and Kristina Cammen (University of Maine-Orono), a research topic on . 

The aim of the interdisciplinary collection of articles is to further discussions on how to best address complex socio-ecological issues related to marine mammal recovery. The articles, coming from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, examine how to measure and document species recovery, how to assess and address social-ecological impacts of recovery, and the role of conflicting perceptions of marine mammal population recovery in shaping “problem” definitions and policy approaches. 

The 10-article collection, which features research in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Australia, also highlights the precarious nature of rebounding marine mammal populations, especially in the global context of climate change and other anthropogenic threats to conservation gains. In the  that precedes the articles, Jackman, Bogomolni and Cammen warn that the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and multi-stakeholder coalitions has never been greater in view of the current political environment, "where hard-won national and international legal frameworks that protect marine mammals and healthy ecosystems are in jeopardy." The compendium will be published as an e-book later in the spring.

The research topic includes an  on "Seals, sharks and social identity: ocean management preferences and priorities" co-authored by Jackman. The article is based on a community-based study of that Jackman led as principal investigator in a partnership of ����ֱ��, Center for Coastal Studies, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, UMass-Boston, Center for Animals and Public Policy of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, and Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, which was funded by Woods Hole Sea Grant, ����ֱ��, and Elizabeth Lawerence Endowed Fund of Tufts University and included Salem State students as research assistants. Previous articles based on the study have been published in , , and .