Maria Bernadette Battaglia

My research focuses on individual and group behavior in the context of small-scale fisheries. In particular, I study how fishers and groups of resource users face changes in the resources they depend upon and the potential for transition from vulnerability to viability in a small island setting. For individual behavior, I focus on tradeoffs between the short-term choices of day-to-day living and the long-term benefits of sustainability, trying to further understand what motivates fishers to protect their resources. An additional research focus examines behavioral change and transition towards viability through the acquisition of information and knowledge between members of different groups.