applied ecology
The Sandin Lab collaborates with a diverse array of organizations to apply our survey methods, imaging technologies, and data extraction workflows to local, regional, and global environmental management issues. We aim to support local communities and organizations by providing sound scientific monitoring and ecosystem assessments. Collaborations with organizations like the Waitt Institute, OneReef, Island Conservation, and re:Wild allow us to learn from reef stewards and adapt our methods.
The Sandin Lab has a longstanding partnership with the Waitt Institute, and is a proud member of the Blue Prosperity Coalition. Our role is to provide scientific support to assist the Waitt Institute’s marine spatial planning efforts, including supporting expedition planning and execution, data analysis, training, and reporting. This partnership spans several geographies, with active and previous projects in the Maldives, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, and many more. For more information on the Waitt Institute and their initiatives, please visit their website: https://www.waittinstitute.org/
Tonga, 2022 – Expedition Report
Maldives, 2020 – Expedition Report
Since 2014, OneReef and the Sandin Lab have been collaborating to support community-driven coral reef and island ecosystem management. OneReef focuses on empowering local ocean stewards by establishing partnership agreements that provide the resources and advancements needed to address pressing environmental challenges.
The Sandin Lab assists with developing data collection plans, establishing protocols, processing data, conducting analyses, visualizing findings, and presenting results. This collaboration ensures that OneReef's efforts are thoroughly assessed and their positive impact on these ecosystems is measurable. We also conduct hands-on workshops to train local stakeholders in standardized data collection methods, ensuring consistent and accurate field data acquisition.
Through this symbiotic partnership, OneReef and the Sandin Lab combine their respective strengths in community engagement and scientific expertise. Together, we work towards the common goal of preserving and sustainably managing coral reefs and island ecosystems for generations to come, while fostering local capacity and ownership of the conservation efforts.
The Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) is a catalytic global initiative with the goal of holistically restoring 40 island-ocean ecosystems from diverse communities and ecosystems by 2030. The IOCC brings together scientific monitoring, restoration, and rewilding efforts on islands across the globe to accelerate ecosystem recovery. Holistically restoring islands results in remarkable benefits to wildlife, oceans, and communities.
This project is a collaboration between Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Island Conservation and re:Wild. The Sandin Lab, in collaboration with the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, is responsible for experimental design for the scientific monitoring, conducting marine monitoring and reporting, and hosting the publicly available monitoring data.
Sandin, S. A., Becker, P. A., Becker, C., Brown, K., Erazo, N. G., Figuerola, C., Fisher, R. N., Friedlander, A. M., Fukami, T., Graham, N. A. J., Gruner, D. S., Holmes, N. D., Holthuijzen, W. A., Jones, H. P., Rios, M., Samaniego, A., Sechrest, W., Semmens, B. X., Thornton, H. E., Thurber, R. V., Wails, C. N., Wolf, C. A., & Zgliczynski, B. J. (2022). Harnessing island–ocean connections to maximize marine benefits of island conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2122354119.
Becker, P.; Sandin, S.; Becker, C.; Erazo, N.; Fisher, R.; Friedlander, A.; Fukami, T.; Graham, N.; Gruner, D.; Holmes, N.; Holthuizen, W.; Jones, H.; Rios, M.; Sechrest, W.; Semmens, B.; Thornton, H.; Vega Thurber, R.; & Wails, C. (2022). Island ocean connections: exploring land-sea linkages in the context of invasive mammal management. UC San Diego: Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/05x9f5z6.
Keywords: marine spatial planning; marine monitoring; conservation; restoration ecology; rewilding