Faculty Sponsor: Caroline Karp

The livelihood of the fishery-based community in Sampela, a village in the Wakatobi National Marine Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia, depends on sustainable fisheries and, in particular, on harvesting and selling holothuroids (sea cucumbers). As species that are sedentary and economically important, sea cucumbers are especially vulnerable to over-harvesting. Laura studied the current status of the holothurian (sea cucumber) fishery and trends that have occurred since Domonic Flint's baseline survey in 2002. Her assessment included biological and socioeconomic components, which were executed through catch composition surveys, community interviews, transects, and market surveys. Additionally, Laura conducted focus groups with key Sampelan traders to facilitate discussions about environmental education (including the size at which sea cucumbers reach reproductive maturity versus the size at which they are harvested) and the prospects for community-based management in Sampela.