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Barbara Paterson

Research Associate, Marine Research Institute, University of Cape Town

Barbara is a postdoc at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax and an Honorary Research Associate of the Marine Research Institute of the University of Cape Town. She completed her PhD in statistical sciences at University of Cape Town and her MA in linguistics, philosophy and computer science at Aachen University. Barbara’s research interests focus on the integration of qualitative and quantitative methods for decision making for sustainable development in fields traditionally characterized by natural science approaches. Her expertise includes the development of electronic decision support tools for the management of natural resources. Another focus of her research are the ethical and epistemological issues that arise when we apply mathematical and computational approaches to environmental and cross cultural contexts. For the last ten years her work has focused on developing decision support methodologies to support the implementation of an ecosystem approach for fisheries (EAF) in Namibia and South Africa with particular focus on social-ecological knowledge. Her current research investigates social-ecological aspects of marine and coastal hazards.

Experience

  • –present
    Post-doctoral fellow marine research institute, University of Cape Town