Nadine Narayan

Nadine Narayan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Coastal Studies at East Carolina University (ECU). She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Leeds and an M.S. in Geography from the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on marine conservation, social-ecological systems, and sustainable resource management. She previously worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Cornell University and the University of California Santa Cruz.

Her work combines social science and geospatial methods to study marine protected areas and fisheries, aiming to enhance ecosystem protection and resource sustainability. Key research interests include local ecological knowledge, common pool resource management, and climate change impacts on coastal communities.

Narayan has secured grants from prestigious organizations like the NSF, including a Belmont Forum Collaborative Research grant (2021–2025) addressing ocean conflicts and equitable solutions. She also leads projects on mangrove restoration, fisheries vulnerability, and community-driven coastal protection strategies.

Her presentations include discussions on fisheries conflicts in Hawaiian communities, mangrove loss drivers, and storm risk mitigation. She actively reviews for journals like One Earth and contributes to international conferences such as the International Marine Protected Area Congress.