Karma Norman is involved in a collaborative research partnership with Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington in order to investigate and develop conceptual frameworks, methodological toolkits, and key social and cultural indicators that would allow for an enhanced understanding of the human dimensions of large marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on the Puget Sound and the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME). The goal of this project is to facilitate and improve the integration of non-economic socio-cultural interactions and values into ecosystem models and ecosystem-based management approaches. This project is divided into two central efforts:

• Cultural Interactions: This effort is aimed at building a conceptual framework and toolkit for investigating cultural-coastal interactions for the California Current. The cultural interactions focus includes identifying key interrelated connections between coastal environments and cultural practices including: cultural meanings, values and identities, local environmental knowledge, and governance and livelihoods. A focus on key cultural connections helps identify the important interactions between natural resources and social groups in ways that may enable the NWFSC to contribute to the improvement of socio-ecological analyses and management.


• Social Indicators: In order to review existing potential indicators of social well-being and develop new indicators applicable to the communities of the Washington coastal portion of the California Current, as well as the Puget Sound ecosystem, a team led by Karma Norman is supervising the work of a two-year National Research Council (NRC) postdoctoral researcher and several University of Washington graduate students. The team is reviewing the prior use of possible indicators of individual and social well-being and determining the applicability of such indicators to Northwest coastal and marine environments. This effort also includes the development and investigation of new indicators developed through the participation of coastal community stakeholders and regional experts.

Locations

California Current and Puget Sound

Research Partners

Washington Sea Grant
University of Washington