Diego’s Master thesis available in the Ocean Health Index

Some months ago, Diego Salgueiro Otero, PhD student and member of Future Oceans Lab team has published his Master Thesis: Ocean Health Index⁺: Independent Assessment on Artisanal fishing opportunities in Ría de Vigo (Galicia, Spain).

The Ocean Health Index is an international project created in University of California Santa Barbara that assesses how healthy the ocean is at global and regional scales.  This complex index analyzes ten different goals that cover environmental, social and economical features. An interdisciplinary index that aims to better understand the feedbacks between ocean and society nowadays and long-term future.

In his study, Diego quantifies the existing opportunities to develop artisanal fishing in Ría de Vigo keeping environmental and social benefits balanced. The interdisciplinary approach was applied and interesting outcomes reveals the current status of the region besides other related features. Normalizing the range of opportunity for artisanal fishing from 0 (no opportunities) to 100 (best opportunities), resulting values standed between 34,78-35,73. The outcomes not only describe the poor/sparse opportunities for artisanal fishing in Ría de Vigo during present-days but also identify weak points to improve and suggest future paths to develop in the region. These results can be an useful baseline map for future stake-holders and managers to take into account in decision-processes. Diego also introduced the OHI to highschool students in the future oceans around program.