Derek Armitage

Derek Armitage is Professor and Director of the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo (Canada). He is co-investigator of the Vulnerability to Viability Global Partnership for Small-Scale Fisheries, vice-chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research program (SCOR/Future Earth), served on the Independent Science Panel for New Zealand’s Sustainable Seas Science Challenge, and is a co-ordinating author for the World Ocean Assessment (United Nations). He also serves on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada-Oceans Frontiers Institute Steering Committee on Social Sciences and Humanities Research, as well as the Canadian National Committee of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research. He is author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and co-editor of several books, including ‘Adaptive Co-Management: Collaboration, Learning and Multi-Level Governance’ (UBC Press), ‘Governance of the Coastal Commons’ (Routledge), and ‘Sea Change: Charting a Sustainable Future for Oceans in Canada’ (UBC Press).

• Biodiversity, coasts, conservation, fisheries, governance, human dimensions, oceans, nature

His applied research aims to support communities and their partners to sustainably manage and conserve oceans, coasts and fisheries with a particular emphasis on co-management and knowledge co-production, governance of social-ecological systems and building resilience and adaptive capacity in response to environmental and climate change. Selected current projects include:

Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Global Partnership for Small-Scale Fisheries: V2V is a transdisciplinary global partnership and knowledge network with members from Africa, Asia, Canada, and internationally. We aim to support small-scale fishers in transitioning from vulnerability to viability (https://www.v2vglobalpartnership.org/)

Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement: Sustainability and Impacts Across Scales (OAeSIS): OAeSIS seeks to advance our

knowledge and understanding the socio-economic and governance dimensions, potential and impacts

associated with ocean alkalinity enhancement, enabling informed decision- and policy-making regarding its potential application as a

climate mitigation approach in the future.

Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) Science Plan: IMBeR is a large global research project which focuses on ocean sustainability in the context of global change. We want to understand past, present and future changes to the ocean. In particular, we want to know how we can achieve a sustainable ocean for the benefit of society. IMBeR (2015-2025) has wrapped up and the development of new global science plan (2026-2036) is ongoing (https://imber.info/)

Real Value of Nature and Wildlife Economy (Phase 1): Working in collaboration with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, this initiative aims to establish build a shared understanding of the real value of wildlife and nature, and to build an implementation strategy and plan for a multi-phase, multi-year and multi-partner initiative. For the purposes of this work, we interpret ‘value’ broadly, and in a manner that includes the economic (e.g., $ value or contribution to GDP, revenue earned from permits and entrance fees) and non-economic dimensions (e.g., sense of place, connectedness, healthy communities, cultural and spiritual continuity, such as with Indigenous communities).

• 2002, PhD, Geography, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 1993, M.Sc., Planning, University of Guelph, Canada

• 1991, BES, Geography, University of Waterloo, Canada

• Outstanding Faculty Performance Award, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo (2016 & 2020)

• University of Waterloo Award of Excellence in Graduate Supervision (2018)

• 2025-present Member, Canadian National Committee – Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Meteorological Society)

• 2024-present Member, Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Ocean Frontier Institute Steering Committee on Social Science and Humanities.

• 2024-present Vice Chair, Scientific Steering Committee for the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR), Future Earth/SCOR.

• 2021-present Advisor, Fisheries Strategies for Changing Oceans and Resilient Ecosystems by 2030 (‘Fishscore2030), UN Decade of Ocean Science-endorsed project. Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

• 2023-2025 Member, Fisheries and Oceans Canada Maritimes Region EBM Framework Task Group – Governance Specialist

• 2022-2024 Member, Scientific Steering Committee. International Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR), Future Earth/SCOR.

• 2017-2024 Member, Independent Science Panel. Sustainable Seas Science Challenge. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Government of New Zealand (a 10 year, $35 million investment by the Government of New Zealand).

• 2025-present npj Ocean Sustainability (Nature) – Editorial Board

• 2024-present Earth Stewardship – Editorial Board

• 2023-present Conservation Science and Practice – Associate Editor

• 2022-present Ocean and Coastal Management - Editorial Board

• DEVP 617 - Field Course
  • Taught in 2025
• ERS 245 - Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biodiversity Conservation: Nature, People, and Policy
  • Taught in 2025, 2026
• ERS 321 - Coastal Social-Ecological Systems
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023
• ERS 400 - Social-Ecological Approaches to Sustainability
  • Taught in 2021, 2022
• INDEV 617 - Field Course
  • Taught in 2023

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• 2026 Muhl, E.K., Armitage, D., Nayak, P. et al. Transition pathways from vulnerability to viability of small-scale fisheries in Africa and Asia. People and Nature. (accepted)

• 2026 Prado, D., Muhl, E.K., Strand, M., Armitage, D., et al. Supporting sustainability of the human-ocean system in the context of global change: a decade's lessons from a large-scale international research project. ICES Journal of Marine Science. (accepted)

• 2026 Plummer, R., Witkowski, S. and D. Armitage. The ongoing evolution of adaptive co-management: Taking stock of trends, gaps and opportunities for research and practice. Environment Management: 76:111, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-026-02398-0

• 2026 Serrao, N., Rae, J., Nayak, P., Armitage, D., Courteny, S. and C. Wilson. Key gaps remain in the definition and application of keystone species concepts for fisheries management: A systematic scoping review. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70238

• 2026 Prado, D., D. Armitage, Nayak, P., Arriagada, N., Castillo, T., Lopez de la Lama, R., Trimble, M. and G. Epstein. Threats and prospects for the viability of small-scale fishing communities in Latin America: A systematic review of conflicts and blue injustices. Ocean and Coastal Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107934

• 2025 Anagnostou, M., Doberstein, B., Armitage, D., Stoett, P. and A. Glasson. Disentangling and demystifying converging crimes and illegal wildlife trade in South Africa, Hong Kong, and Canada. Journal of Economic Criminology. October: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconc.2025.100196

• 2025 Battaglia, M., Pittman, J., Epstein, G. Bernardi, G. and D. Armitage. Marine protected areas governance, social norms, and social networks. Marine Policy. 173 (106576).

• 2025 Hill, L., Pittman, J. and D. Armitage. Fostering effective intersectional disaster risk governance in Dominica: the role of social networks and trust in information dissemination. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105612

• 2024 Ayambire, R. Rytwinski, T. Taylor, J., Luizza, M., Muir, M., Cadet, C., Armitage, D., Bennett, N., Brooks, J., Cheng, S., Martinez, J., Nagendran, M., Öckerman, S., Rivera, S., Savage, A., Wilkie, D., Cooke, S. and J. Bennett. Challenges in assessing the effects of environmental governance systems on conservation outcomes. Conservation Biology. e14392

• 2024 Sumaila, R., Armitage, D., Bailey, M and W. Cheung. Sea Change: Charting a Sustainable Future for Oceans in Canada. UBC Press, Vancouver.

• Oceans must take centre stage in nation-building projects
• Ambitious changes to Canadian conservation law are needed to reverse the decline in biodiversity
• A new partnership to advance biodiversity conservation and education
• A new collaboration will facilitate conservation efforts at Long Point biosphere
• A sustainable future for Canada’s oceans and coasts
• Governance matters for conservation, but are we measuring its true impact?