Nadine Heck

Nadine Heck is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Coastal Studies at East Carolina University. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Leeds (2011), an M.S. from the University of Exeter (2005), and a B.S. from the University of Freiburg (2003). Her research integrates social science and geospatial methods to analyze social-ecological dynamics in marine protected areas, fisheries, and coastal adaptation.

• Education
  • Ph.D. in Geography, University of Leeds (2011)
  • M.S. in Geography, University of Exeter (2005)
  • B.S. in Geography, University of Freiburg (2003)

Heck's work focuses on marine conservation, local ecological knowledge, common pool resource management, and coastal hazards. Her lab's research explores human-marine ecosystem interactions, supported by grants from IUCN, NSF, the Belmont Forum, NOAA Sea Grant, the International Climate Initiative, and The Nature Conservancy.

Recent publications examine global mangrove conservation, fisheries-climate interactions, coastal resilience, and marine governance conflicts. She has taught courses on international environment and development, as well as marine conservation perspectives.

Current research projects include analyzing national policy impacts on mangrove deforestation, climate change risks to fisheries, and cost-effective coastal protection strategies using mangroves and reefs.