Marine Affairs Program

Faculty of Science

Outgoing Cohort

  Before Sinead moved to Canada, she grew up in South Africa where she spent her summers at the beach or in the African bush, which sparked a deep-rooted passion for conservation and ecology. Sinead completed a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) at Trent University, earning a joint major in Biology and Environmental & Resource Science with a specialization in Conservation Biology. For her graduate project, Sinead explored public perceptions of smallmouth bass management in the Margaree Valley, Cape Breton. Now nearing the completion of her Master of Marine Management degree, Sinead has developed an interdisciplinary perspective of marine management issues and hopes to contribute to the conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems around the world.
  Eva is from Chelsea, Quebec and has a BSc in marine biology from Dalhousie University. She is passionate about coastal protection, community engagement, and the power of media, art, and storytelling to deepen connections to the ocean and inspire collective action. She loves camping, playing music, and photography. 
  Mike Cudjoe
 

Nina is originally from coastal South India and grew up living five minutes from the ocean. After graduating with a BSc Hons in Animal Behaviour at Anglia Ruskin University, they attended veterinary school at the University of Edinburgh. They studied there for two and a half years before deciding that, despite loving it, it wasn’t the long-term life for them. In their undergrad, their greatest interest was around marine mammal behaviour and conservation, which ended up being a passion they chose to follow. They are now a Master of Marine Management candidate with the Marine Affairs program at Dalhousie University.

Currently, Nina is very excited to be doing their Masters grad project under the supervision of Dr Megan Bailey. Their research aims to review the literature on the potential impacts of offshore wind energy on marine mammals, specifically focusing on implications for North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) and what challenges conservation might encounter in terms of governance in the renewable energy sector.
 

Anthea grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, where she developed a love for the outdoors through hiking and ski touring with her family. During her undergraduate studies at McGill University, she gained experience working on coral reef research, which sparked her interest in marine management, conservation, and scientific diving. This passion led her to pursue the Master of Marine Management (MMM) program at Dalhousie University.

As part of her graduate work, Anthea focused on applying GIS to examine coastal access in Nova Scotia. Her project allowed her to deepen her expertise in mapping and analyzing issues at the intersection of coastal management, access, and conservation.
  Sadie Foster is a Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Environmental Biology from Queen’s University. Sadie gained hands-on experience through an internship with WWF, where she worked with the marine conservation and shipping team and contributed to imagining Canada’s first Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA). Her current interests lie in marine conservation, science communication, and implementing community-based approaches to marine management. Looking ahead, Sadie aspires to work within the eNGO sector to develop effective conservation strategies that center community voices and foster inclusive and sustainable marine conservation. 
  Kate was born and mostly raised in Montreal where she completed a BSc in general biology with a minor in environment at McGill. Throughout her undergrad she did research in a variety of topics including human genetics and coral conservation before pursuing economics and finance research in the MMM. Her graduate project looks at emerging blue finance mechanisms and the potential risks for users that could be associated with them. In the future she hopes to continue working in the blue finance space to help with the development of more sustainable and equitable blue economies.
  Maxwell Gallo-Will
  Macy is from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and completed her Bachelor of Science at Saint Mary's University with an Honours in Geology and major in Environmental Science. Her graduate project focuses on the identification and mitigation of environmental impacts associated with the site assessment process for offshore wind in a Nova Scotian context. In the future, Macy hopes to continue working towards the sustainable development of marine renewable energy in Canada.
  Marina is from a small town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She graduated from Vancouver Island University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and is excited to pursue her Master of Marine Management degree at Dalhousie University. Marina is interested in studying the endangered southern resident killer whales of the Salish Sea, and hopes to advance the protective measures in place to promote their survival and recovery.
  Sarah grew up in Ontario but, after spending most of her summers on Canada’s east coast, fell in love with the ocean and moved to Nova Scotia for her undergraduate studies. She completed a Bachelor of Science in biology at Acadia University, where she developed a passion for marine conservation while living on the Bay of Fundy. After graduation, she spent two summers working for a sea-turtle conservation NGO in Greece, which inspired her to pursue a master’s degree in the marine field. Now a student in the Master of Marine Management (MMM) program, Sarah is eager to explore how diverse knowledge systems, particularly Indigenous knowledge, values, and governance, can strengthen fisheries management and marine conservation practices.
  Kaleigh Johnson Martin completed her Honours degree in Biology at the University of Ottawa and is now a Master of Marine Management student at Dalhousie University. She’s passionate about conservation, policy, and equity, and how these come together in protecting our oceans and supporting communities. Looking ahead, Kaleigh hopes to build a career in marine management that promotes sustainability and inclusive decision-making for people and the environment.
  Suha Khan grew up in Southern Ontario, where she was introduced to a range of community-based environmental initiatives both in and out of school. She completed an Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at the University of Guelph in 2023, majoring in Environmental Resource Management and earning a certificate in Environmental Conservation, which fostered her interest in interdisciplinary approaches to environmental governance. By pursuing a Master of Marine Management (MMM), Suha has expanded this focus through a marine and coastal lens, with graduate research on strategies to advance data sovereignty principles within the Imappivut Knowledge Study in Nunatsiavut. Her work integrates interests in participatory marine spatial planning, rights holder and stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building for equitable research processes in diverse communities.
  Lauren grew up in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, where summers spent on the beach and sailing on her family’s boat sparked her love for the ocean. She holds a BSc in Biology (Co-op) from Acadia University (’23), and spent three years in Dr. Trevor Avery’s lab, participating in fisheries research across Atlantic Canada. Before beginning her MMM, Lauren solidified her passion for the marine environment by spending the summer in Greece, where she contributed to sea turtle conservation research. Her graduate research now focuses on developing a risk assessment framework for dermo disease (Perkinsus marinus) in Nova Scotian oyster farms, under the supervision of Dr. Ramón Filgueira.
 

Originally from Niagara, Ontario, Emma is a Master of Marine Management candidate at Dalhousie University, where she also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology and Ocean Sciences.

Her graduate research centers on the science-policy interface and its role in the recovery of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Kait is analyzing how scientific contributions—particularly those from the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (NARWC)—align with recovery objectives outlined in legislative frameworks such as Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Her work aims to address the gap between scientific knowledge and its application in policy, a disconnect that may be affecting the effectiveness of species recovery efforts.
  Originally from Toronto, Danilo has pursued a variety of interests from biology to acting and developed a passion for nature through exploring the wild areas of Ontario. After completing a BSc (hons.) in Animal Behaviour at the University of Western Ontario in 2023, Danilo looked to further his education emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of his interests. This led him to the Master of Marine Management Program and an internship with Cloudberry Connections where he hopes to combine academic training with community-engaged experiences to increase awareness of issues that affect the connection between people and their environment.
  Anajose, originally from Fredericton, NB, has a BSc in Biology from the University of New Brunswick, where she completed her honours project on salt marsh fish communities. Inspired by her family’s roots in Mexico, her master’s research focuses on integrating community perceptions and local ecological knowledge into reef monitoring practices in Puerto Morelos, a port town in the Mexican Caribbean. An avid SCUBA diver, she’s always on the lookout for her favourite fish — the charming porcupinefish!
  Born and raised in Hudson Quebec, on unseeded and traditional Haudenosaunee territory, I cultivated a passion for estuarine ecosystem during my summers on the Manicouagan Peninsula, located on the North Sith of the St-Lawrence River, Qc. After graduating from Dalhousie University in 2021 with Honours in Marine Biology, I completed a post-graduate certificate in Marine Mammal Science from the University of St. Andrews, UK, before returning to Dalhousie to complete a Master's in Marine Management. My future goals include cultivating advocacy skills to help students with disabilities navigate post-secondary education, honing my science education knowledge, as well as making curriculum-based ocean related educational material that allows all learners to have access to the wonders of the ocean.
  Onella is a marine biologist with a deep-rooted passion for sustainable marine management and a true appreciation for the interconnectedness of marine ecosystems and community livelihoods, as she grew up in Saint Lucia, a small island developing state where coastal . Currently enrolled in the Master of Marine Management (MMM) program, Onella is expanding her expertise in marine governance, environmental policy, and law. Her research interests lie in environmental impact assessment of offshore energy and resource extraction, particularly offshore wind farms and oil and gas development. Through the MMM program, she aims to bridge the gap between science and policy, ensuring that offshore energy projects are managed in a way that not only minimizes ecological harm but also equitably considers the needs of coastal communities, rightsholders, and industry stakeholdersresources drive both the economy and daily life. Her professional experience with the Department of Fisheries in Saint Lucia allowed her to engage with coastal communities, fishers, and policymakers to promote sustainable marine resource management. Her background is further enriched by international training programs in Japan, which have broadened her perspective on the complex interactions between ecosystems, industries, and governance.