I currently hold the position of Sustainable Seafood Project Manager at the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, where work on developing engagement programs with representatives of the seafood purchasing for retail industry, and to provide knowledge and inform the design of corporate policies that incorporate sustainable procurement practices for aquatic food products from both capture fisheries and aquaculture. I also develop materials for capacity development and effective communication of scientific evidence for sustainable practices beyond scientific audiences.
I am also a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on the Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative: The contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development (IHH), for which I served as Technical Lead during my postdoctoral work at Duke University since 2018. The IHH study, a partnership between Duke University, FAO, and WorldFish, highlights the global importance of the contributions of both inland and marine small-scale fisheries to multiple aspects of sustainable development, including nutrition and food security, employment, economic benefits, and in consideration of their environmental, gender, and governance implications throughout the supply chain, with the goal of improving the sector’s visibility in policy and decision-making arenas.
Please visit my Research page for updates on current research projects.
Maria del Mar Mancha-Cisneros 