Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Steve Canty is the principal investigator of the Marine Conservation Lab, an interdisciplinary group of scientist focused supporting the management of marine ecosystems, such as mangroves, and the sustainable use of small-scale fisheries, with a particular focus within the Latin American and Caribbean region. The lab co-develop solutions with coastal communities, non-government organizations, and local and national governments, integrating ecological and socio-economic monitoring with local ecological knowledge, develop habitat maps, and conduct impact evaluations to determine if management interventions provide benefits to both people and nature. 

Key projects include:

• Supporting the Nationally Determined Contributions of Belize, Panama, and Honduras
• Developing field-based and remote sensing mangrove monitoring tools
• Understanding the governance of mangrove and seagrass governance in the Mesoamerican reef region
• Co-development of management road maps for mangroves and seagrasses in the Mesoamerican reef region
• Investigating the role of small-scale and subsistence fisheries in food security
• Understanding the impact of climate change and other drivers on fish communities
• Impact evaluations of protected area and their benefits to people and nature