As a marine environmental historian, I study the state of past oceans and our evolving relationship with them. My research primarily focuses on quantifying and describing historical fisheries using documentary and cartographic sources. By studying the historical records, I aim to understand the scale and nature of fishing practices in different periods, shedding light on the exploitation and management of marine resources throughout history. The applied nature of this historical research has direct present-day conservation and restoration benefits.

I employ a wide range of digital humanities methods in my research, including extensive use of databases and geographic information systems (GIS). For a map example, see here, and the portfolio page on this website.

History provides a valuable and necessary perspective on the scale of past marine extractions that can allow us to better manage and understand the state of our oceans today. We cannot adequately face the present challenges without understanding how people interacted with and influenced the marine environment throughout time.

I completed my PhD on the history of Ireland’s marine fisheries in 2021 as part of a multidisciplinary research team at the Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities (TCEH). From 2021 to 2022 I worked as a Postdoctoral researcher on 4-Oceans project at TCEH. I am currently an Aspiration Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria, Canada.