Ellen Hines

Ellen Hines is a Professor of Geography and Environment at San Francisco State University (SFSU), affiliated with the Institute for Geographic Information Science and the Estuary & Ocean Science Center. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Victoria. Her research focuses on marine mammals, coastal GIS, and conservation challenges in developing countries, with fieldwork in Thailand, British Columbia, and San Francisco Bay. She specializes in habitat modeling, bycatch mitigation, and interdisciplinary approaches to marine conservation.

Her educational background includes advanced training in geography, emphasizing geospatial techniques. She has pioneered the integration of GIS and remote sensing for marine mammal habitat delineation and has worked extensively with small-scale fisheries to address conservation issues. Her work often involves participatory frameworks and transdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in the Gulf of Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Research interests include dugong and dolphin conservation, the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems, and the development of research protocols for marine mammals in resource-limited regions. Her lab, the Marine & Coastal Conservation & Spatial Planning Lab, focuses on applied conservation science and spatial analysis to address ecological and social challenges in marine environments.

Notable contributions include risk assessments for marine mammal bycatch, habitat modeling for endangered species, and studies on sea-level rise impacts on coastal habitats. She collaborates with international organizations and local communities to translate research into actionable conservation strategies.