Steven Canty coordinates the Marine Conservation Program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The group focuses on the design of marine reserves to promote the health and resilience of coral reef ecosystems in the Mesoamerican barrier reef region. A major component of the program is the management of coral reef fisheries. In collaboration with in-country partners and U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations, the group focuses on how to collect catch data from small-scale fisheries that are accurate, easy to use and cost-effective. These fisheries tools have been piloted in Honduras and other countries of the region; however, they have the ability to be applied to small-scale fisheries across the globe.
Photo by Jeremy Snyder / Smithsonian Institution