Transitioning away from fossil fuels is crucial to mitigating climate change. Offshore wind farms have the potential to generate a substantial amount of electricity. My research focuses on marine ecosystem services – the ecological processes that provide benefits to people — and renewable energy. How do offshore wind farms impact ecosystem services and biodiversity? Why do certain people in coastal communities accept or reject marine renewable energy development? What can be learned from communities, such as Samso, Denmark, that have embraced renewable energy?
I am interested in socioeconomics – systematically studying people’s values, experiences, and attitudes as well as how marine policies will likely impact people. With a focus on coastal communities and renewable energy, I want to know what people care about in marine ecosystems, how this is linked to the ecological state of the ocean environment and what factors influence attitudes toward marine renewable energy development.
Stellar Sea Lions in the Boughton Archipelago
I started my PhD after completing my master’s thesis research in Northern Vancouver Island, which was done in collaboration with the Regional District of Mount Waddington and Living Oceans Society. I interviewed people about why the ocean is
important to them for economic and cultural reasons. I also asked participants to map areas of monetary importance, non-monetary importance and areas under environmental threat. This type of research can inform marine spatial planning, particularly the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area process which is underway along the north coast of British Columbia.
Before I came to UBC, I graduated from Reed College where I majored in biology and also studied environmental economics. My interest in sustainability, ecology, economics, and fisheries further developed when I worked as a GIS Technician and Research Assistant at Ecotrust, a conservation orgnazation dedicated to improving economic opportunities, social equity and environmental stewardship. I also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Micronesia at Palau’s Bureau of Marine Resources where I helped lead a sea turtle conservation and monitoring program. In Palau, I collected baseline data and did environmental education and outreach on sea turtles, dugongs and saltwater crocodiles (see linked photos) and helped with a reef survey in remote Helen Reef.
Publications
Ban, N. C., Mills, M., Tam, J., Hicks, C. C., Klain, S., Stoeckl, N., et al. (2013). A social-ecological approach to conservation planning: embedding social considerations. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
Satterfield, T., Gregory, R., Klain, S., Roberts, M., & Chan, K. M. (2013). Culture, intangibles and metrics in environmental management. Journal of Environmental Management, 117, 103–114. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.11.033
Klain, S. C., & Chan, K. M. A. (2012). Navigating coastal values: Participatory mapping of ecosystem services for spatial planning. Ecological Economics, 82, 104–113. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.07.008
Chan, K.M.A., Guerry, Anne D., Balvanera, P., Klain, S., Satterfield, T., Basurto, X., Bostrom, A., Chuenpagdee, R., Gould, R., Halpern, B.S., Hannahs, N., Levine, J., Norton, B., Ruckelshaus, M., Russell, R., Tam, J., Ulalia Woodside. (2012). Where are ‘Cultural’ and ‘Social’ in Ecosystem Services? A Framework for Constructive Engagement. BioScience, 62(8).
Sisk, T. D., Singh, G., Tam, J., Chan, K. M. A., Klain, S., Mach, M., & Martone, R. (2011). Barriers and Incentives to Engagement in Public Policy and Science-based Advocacy. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 92(3), 276–280. doi:10.1890/0012-9623-92.3.276
Chan, K., Gregr, E. J., & Klain, S. (2009). A critical course change. Science. [book review]
Klain, S., J. Eberdong, et al. (2007). Linking Micronesia and Southeast Asia: Palau Sea Turtle Satellite Tracking and Flipper Tag Returns. Marine Turtle Newsletter 118, 9-11.
