Dr Louise Gammage

Louise is an environmental geographer specialising in marine sustainability.  She works in inter- and transdisciplinary contexts with an interest in developing transformative methodologies and tools that will contribute to the promotion of system-based governance.  Her current research focuses on marine social-ecological systems (SESs) and fisheries in South Africa, working collaboratively with research partners in the EU and USA. Louise’s research interests include exploring innovative methodologies to address challenges related to scale and decision-making in complex adaptive systems; understanding drivers of change in SESs to improve present and future decision-making; and exploring ways for local stakeholders (such as fishers) to build capacity to enhance well-being, while informing governance and policy at the larger decision-making scales.  She is experienced in semi-quantitative modelling techniques (such as cognitive causal mapping and Bayesian network modelling), qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, designing and leading interviews and surveys (including fieldwork), group facilitation and scenario planning.  For her PhD work and as part of the Southern Cape Interdisciplinary Fisheries Research (SCIFR) project, Louise developed and prototyped a scenario-based approach to change management.  Here, she used structured decision-making tools and qualitative modelling to enhance understanding on drivers of change in the southern Cape’s linefishery system. She also used scenario planning as a tool to address challenges related to scale mismatches within governance structures for this linefishery.  Currently, as part of the TRIATLAS project, Louise is developing composite social indicators for coastal communities in South Africa as tool for understanding the drivers of fishing pressure.  She is presently a research fellow at the University of Cape Town with the Marine Ecology & Fisheries Research Group (Department of Biological Sciences) and the Marine and Antarctic Research centre for Innovation and Sustainability (MARIS).  

M.Sc Dissertation:  Considering One’s Options When The Fish Leave. A Case Study Of The Traditional Commercial Hand Line Fishery Of The Southern Cape(PDF)

PhD Thesis:  Development of a scenario-based approach for responding to change in fishery systems: a case study in the small-scale fisheries of South Africa’s southern Cape