Coastal CURA - Community University Research Alliance

Participatory Integrated Management of Coastal Resources

CURA photo 1Project Description:

The Coastal CURA was a five-year research project (2006-2011), funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), which involved two universities (UNB Fredericton and Saint Mary’s University in Halifax), four First Nations and a number of coastal communities and resource centers.

Four Project Goals:

  • improved effectiveness in governance of coastal resources;
  • enhanced community research capacity to further local management;
  • a Maritimes network for integrated management, through a strong network of partners;
  • research innovations and knowledge generation through research focused on community-based management theory and outcomes.

Who Was Involved:

  • Academic partners include academics from across Canada, including Tony Charles (SMU) who is principal investigator, and the following co-applicants: Melanie Wiber (UNB), John Kearney (UNB), Murray Rudd (MUN, Grenfell College), Lyn Pinkerton (SFU), Fikret Berkes (UManitoba), and Alison Evans (Dal).
  • Community partners are from around the Maritime region, including: the Fundy Fixed Gear Council, Fundy North Fishermen’s Association, and the Digby Clam Harvester’s Association.
  • First Nation partners include: Acadia First Nation, Bear River First Nation and the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island (Lennox Island and Abegweit).
  • Resource centers include the Bay of Fundy Marine Resource Center and the Coastal Livelihoods Trust.

Over the five years, all community partners were involved in research projects that identified local problems, met local needs, and drew on academic resources to identify resources, guide research methods and organize students or staff to carry out the research and disseminate the results.

CURA photo 2Project Themes:

All individual projects collaboratively undertaken by the CURA partners fell under three broad themes:

  • Reflection and Evaluation Methods: Learning from Past Experiences
  • Integrated Coastal Management Initiatives: Iterative Learning in the Present
  • Organizational Capacity & Policy Development: Planning for the Future

Student Funding:

The Project supported two Doctoral Research Fellowships and four Masters Research Fellowships:

  • Students attended either UNB, SMU or Dalhousie University and worked under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Wiber or Dr. Tony Charles.

For more information on outcomes of the project see:
coastalcura@smu.ca
www.coastalcura.ca