Our research focuses on the human dimensions of marine systems and how social-ecological dynamics shape and are shaped by formal and informal institutions.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and productive start to the New Year. Our 2024 Annual Report is hot off the press! https://localcatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/LCN_Annual_Report_2024-3.pdf
NOW OPEN: We are seeking applicants for our Seafood Accelerator and Innovation Lab (SAIL) programs: (1) SAIL Catalyst is a 14-week business accelerator; (2) SAIL Mentorship is a year-long peer-to-peer mentorship program. Apply: https://localcatch.org/seafood-accelerator-innovation-lab/ @skipperotto @Ecotrust
Our monthly newsletter is HOT off the press. For those interested in small-scale and community-based fisheries in the US, Canada, and affiliated islands, the newsletter provides up-to-date information about grants, news, etc. https://shorturl.at/lplQB
Research
We are broadly interested in questions about the design and maintenance of institutions (formal and informal) that support sustainable fisheries and the communities that depend on them. Towards this objective, we work on a range of interdisciplinary research projects that fit within three broad themes:
Coastal Community Adaptation and Resilience: How and why are communities adapting to systemic changes? What strategies enable (disable) the equitable distribution of resources? What are the cumulative impacts of socioeconomic and environmental change on communities’ adaptive capacity?
Seafood Systems and Community Well-being: What happens to seafood when it enters the market (aka unpacking the black box)? What role does seafood trade and distribution play in fostering coastal community health and well-being? How can seafood distribution foster resilience and strengthen local and regional food systems? As part of this work our team leads the Local Catch Network.
Ocean and Coastal Governance: How does governance shape coastal communities’ access to and engagement with marine resources? What forms of policy facilitate collaboration and empower local peoples?
Publications
Burnham, T., Kilchenmann, J., Guenther, C., O’Shea, M., Reardon, K., Stoll, J., (2025). Socioeconomic indicators of resilience in Maine’s American lobster fishery. Marine Policy, (3)1, 31.
Kilchenmann, McCosker, C., Cammen, K., Stoll, J., (2024). Endeavoring to engage in cooperative fisheries research in a contentious socio-political climate. ICES Journal of Marine Science, (81)10, 1931-1940.
Nyiawung, R., Ehrlick, T., Bennett, N., Brunet, N., Matos, F., Pita, C., Stoll, J., Loring, P. (2024). Fisheries and the COVID-19 pandemic: A global scoping review of the early pressures, impacts, and responses in least developed, emerging, and developed countries. ICES Journal of Marine Science, (74) 103501.
Advani, S., O’Hara, J., Shoffler, S., Pinto da Silva, P., Agar, J., Arnett, J., Brislen, L., Cutler, M., Harley, A., Hospital, J., Norman, K., Ragland, E., Squires, D., Stoffle, B., Szymkowiak, M., Vega-Labiosa, A., Joshua SStoll, J.(2024). Estimating the scope, scale, and contribution of direct seafood marketing to the United States seafood sector. Marine Policy, 165, 106188.
Oyikeke, T., Advani, S., and Stoll, J.(2024). Seafood independence is within reach: a multi-scale assessment of seafood self-reliance in the United States. npj Ocean Sustainability, (3)1, 31.
People
Our group is engaged in interdisciplinary and applied research related to sustainable fisheries, ocean and coastal governance, food systems, and social-ecological dynamics. Our research is informed by real-world engagement with marine resource users, coastal community stakeholders, and policymakers. For this reason, much of our work is based in Maine, where opportunities for regular and ongoing collaboration is most possible. We also work across the United States and, increasingly, around the world.
I am recruiting graduate students for our first cohort of a NSF-funded National Research Training program that focuses on interdisciplinary ecosystem science in the face of rapid ocean change: https://shorturl.at/bfBJ2
If you are interested in exploring ways to collaborate or have ideas and/or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out: joshua.stoll@maine.edu.
