Email: ella-kari.muhl@uwaterloo.ca
I am a conservation ecologist from South Africa with interests in equity, co-production of knowledge, and the sustainable governance of marine resources. I completed my Masters in 2019 (with distinction) at the University of Cape Town where I examined the perceptions of local scientists, community members, NGOs, and the local managing authority about the rezoning of Tsistikamma marine protected area - Africa’s oldest MPA - and its implications for people and ecosystems. Although born and raised in Cape Town, I have worked abroad for five years across Asia and Australia, and these experiences have led to my interest in local people, their knowledge systems and their connection to the environment. I see human wellness and marine sustainability as being linked across physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realms. My doctoral research aims to support ecosystem-based management in the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve (Haida Gwaii, British Columbia) through the collaborative development and implementation of evaluative strategies and measurement frameworks associated with governance outcomes and coastal community benefits (e.g., food security, wellbeing).