معرفی
Kristen Ounanian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sustainability and Planning at Aalborg University, Denmark. She leads the 'EmpowerUs' EU Horizon Europe project and co-leads the OBAMA-NEXT initiative focused on marine ecosystems. Her academic roles include project management in the PERICLES and MERCES projects, emphasizing coastal community transitions and marine governance.
Education:
- PhD in Planning: 'In Place of Fishing: Coastal Communities in Transition' (Aalborg University, 2016)
- PhD in Marine Affairs: 'In Place of Fisheries: Coastal Communities in Transition' (University of Rhode Island, 2016)
- Bachelor of Science in Social Policy (Northwestern University, 2007)
Research Focus: Transition dynamics in coastal communities, marine governance, intangible cultural heritage, climate adaptation, and the blue economy. She explores how coastal regions adapt to reduced fishing opportunities and transition to new sectors, with a focus on sociotechnical systems and sustainability.
Grants & Projects:
- EmpowerUs: EU-funded project on sustainable coastal development (2022–2025)
- OBAMA-NEXT: Marine ecosystem observation tools (2022–2026)
- PERICLES: Cultural heritage preservation in coastal regions (2018–2021)
- MERCES: Marine ecosystem restoration (2016–2020)
Publications Trends: Recent work addresses coastal displacement, gender equality in blue economies, and climate adaptation in fisheries. Articles highlight methodological transparency and interdisciplinary approaches to marine social science challenges.
Labs/Teams: Centre for Blue Governance and the BLUE – Marine & Maritime Research group at Aalborg University.
