Dr Ruth Thurstan (she / her / hers)

Human induced changes to our coasts and oceans span much greater periods of time (decades to centuries) than even the longest established scientific monitoring programs. This means that, in addition to continuing and extending our monitoring efforts, we need to use alternative approaches and sources of information to better understand the scale and trajectory of changes that have occurred in our marine ecosystems.

Marine historical ecology is an interdisciplinary approach to research that draws upon (among others) the ecological, historical and social disciplines to understand what our marine and coastal ecosystems looked like and how they functioned in the past, how humans have interacted with these ecosystems over time, and the extent to which our interactions have affected and altered these systems. My work in the UK and Australia has made use of a variety of sources and techniques to better understand the scale and drivers of ecological change, and the consequences of such change for the users of these ecosystems, with a particular focus on finfish and shellfish fisheries. These include government statistical records, popular media, oral history interviews, maritime charts, and underwater coring and in-situ survey methods.

As well as understanding the scale of past changes, I am also interested in how we can best use this knowledge to inform contemporary management and policy, and have worked with non-governmental and governmental organizations to this effect.

I have also explored the social aspects of marine protected areas, and conduct ongoing research in the reconstruction of marine and coastal ecosystem services, and the quantification of technological innovation and uptake in commercial and recreational fisheries.

I am Chair of the Oceans Past Initiative, a global research network that works to advance interdisciplinary research to discover the history of marine ecosystems and our relationships with the ocean through time. Every two years the OPI hosts an international conference where researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines come together to learn about cross-cutting research into past oceans and its applications for policy.

From 2015-2020 I chaired the International Council for Exploration of the Seas’ Working Group on the History of Fish and Fisheries (ICES WGHIST), which brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines to explore trends in social-ecological systems through time, and how we can apply these findings and perspectives to contemporary management.

Please visit my Google Scholar page to view my published research, or contact me directly if you require PDFs.

Students: My term-time office hours are Wednesday 11.00am-12.00pm and Friday 09.30am-10.30am. Note I am now based in the Stella Turk building on the top floor.