jcoffey1

I am a marine biologist with a background in participatory co-management, originating from Newfoundland, Canada where I began my research on seabirds more than 20 years ago. Studying the marine environment now for over two decades has brought me to more than 40 countries, where I often work on fishing boats, research vessels, sailboats and cruise ships from the Southern to the Arctic Ocean, living at-sea or in remote field camps for several months at a time. My seabird work is diverse and has included such projects as satellite tracking, microplastics in the marine environment and collection of traditional knowledge from fisherfolk and indigenous communities.

I first came to the Grenadines in 2011, where I was an intern at an environmental NGO. Since then, I have conducted freelance research and outreach through the “Birds of the Transboundary Grenadines” project and through Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). In 2019, a co-authored book through my research on birds of the Grenadines was released which features a chapter on local knowledge, stories and values of birds collected from over 100 residents throughout the Grenadines, and in 2020 a mini-documentary on seabirds was produced by EPIC featuring my footage collected through the Grenadines. In 2019, I conducted stakeholder consultations throughout the transboundary Grenadines to produce the “Community-based Conservation Management Plan for Seabirds of the Transboundary Archipelago”. I additionally recruit, train and provide ongoing logistical, administrative and advisory support to the Grenadines Guardians and assist with the citizen scientist survey design and data management.

October 2020