Dan Ovando

Dan received his BS in Ecosystem Science and Policy as well as Biology at the University of Miami. After completing his BS, he worked as the program coordinator and lab manager for the South Florida Student Shark Program, based out of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. In this role, Dan conducted research on the ecology of south Florida sharks and developed community awareness of these keystone predators. Dan earned a Master’s degree at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, pursuing his interest in developing practical solutions to the challenges facing marine ecosystems. For his thesis work, he conducted an analysis of the economic viability and ecological sustainability of a proposed red abalone fishing cooperative, as part of an effort to support the development of community managed fisheries in the Santa Barbara region. He currently works as a research scientist and project manager with SFG, where his principal study areas include the development and performance of cooperative fisheries, the assessment of data-poor fisheries, marine spatial planning, and the use of bio-economic models in fisheries management.