معرفی
Maxine Westhead is the Director of the Marine Affairs Program at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Science and serves as an Instructor for the graduate-level Marine Protected Areas course (MARA 5013). She holds a B.Sc. in Marine Biology (University of Guelph, 1996) and an M.Sc. in Marine Biology (Acadia University, 2005). Her Master’s research examined ecological impacts of intertidal harvesting in the Minas Basin. Since 1998, she has worked with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), leading marine conservation initiatives including Marine Protected Areas (MPA) design and Canada’s marine spatial planning (MSP) efforts. Currently, she leads the Maritimes Region’s Marine Planning unit, focusing on less-controversial MSP strategies.
Her research emphasizes effective MPA/MSP strategies, ecosystem-based management, and climate adaptation in marine systems. She has contributed to major conservation targets and policy frameworks, merging ecological and socio-economic dimensions of marine governance. Key areas include the Gulf of Maine, Scotian Shelf, and Canadian coastal ecosystems.
Publications span global climate adaptation, MPA implementation challenges, and ecosystem services valuation. She actively bridges academic teaching with real-world policy challenges, exposing students to pragmatic dilemmas in marine conservation and planning.
