UMaine Graduate student completes Maine Sea Grant-Native American Programs Collaborative Research Assistantship

Krissa Davis recently completed a Maine Sea Grant-Native American Programs Collaborative Research Assistantship. The assistantship was designed to build research collaborations with Maine Sea Grant and the Wabanaki Tribal Nations in what is now Maine and help train the next generation of transdisciplinary researchers with expertise in stakeholder engagement and interdisciplinary research. Krissa played an important role in helping to develop these connections. Specifically, Davis focused on issues pertaining to food sovereignty, contaminants and toxins in water resources, and access rights to fishing.

“I came to the East coast to learn how fisheries policy varies, and so far I’ve learned that it is on a different time scale, specifically with the timing of colonization and fisheries access,” said Davis, who collected data for her thesis this past spring and summer. “There’s a lot to learn from coast to coast, and I’m lucky to witness the similarities and differences in fisheries management. It’s been a really eye-opening experience for me.”

Davis earned her associate’s in applied science from the University of Alaska Southeast in fisheries technology and is a graduate of the University of Maine with a bachelors in marine science. Currently, she is a graduate student at the University of Maine’s School of Marine Policy. In the future, Davis hopes to continue working hands-on in communities to raise and enhance indigenous voices.

Posted 1 September 2023