Sarah Lawless

Dr Sarah Lawless is a marine social scientist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ocean Governance. Sarah's research investigates opportunities for social equitable governance of marine social-ecological systems. She has a particular interest in the interaction between ocean-related policies, marine institutions, climate interventions and the rights and wellbeing of coastal communities. Sarah's current research explores:

- socially responsible and equitable governance of marine climate interventions globally

- scientific discourses of responsibility in governing for sustainable ocean futures

- blue carbon interventions/markets and implications for the rights, livelihoods and wellbeing of coastal populations

- social co-benefits of blue carbon interventions

- gender equitable marine climate practices, investments, institutions and policy

- climate-smart planning for sustainable livelihoods in Solomon Islands

Sarah’s research is supported under an AIMS@JCU fellowship. The AIMS@JCU program is a strategic partnership between JCU and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Sarah is the first social scientist engaged under this program, where she contributes to a key research area of common interest - improving governance of changing oceans. Sarah is a member of the Governing Ocean Change research program and SNAPP group. Here, Sarah joins an interdisciplinary team of scientist, government and non-government experts working toward governance transitions fit for novel and rapidly emerging interventions in climate-impacted oceans.

Sarah's past research has looked critically at how marine science, policies and interventions seek to improve fisheries, food systems and coastal environments, and the implications these may have human development outcomes. Her research has been published in journals including Global Environmental Change, Nature Climate Change, World Development, Ambio and Marine Policy. As an applied qualitative social scientist, Sarah has spent the past decade working as an expert consultant to a range of non-governmental organizations, research institutions and universities working on equitable social-ecological systems research, policy and practice. Some of these organisations include the Nature Conservancy, WorldFish, the World Wide Fund for Nature and CARE International. Sarah works closely with a network of multi-disciplinary scientists and development practitioners to ensure her research is grounded in the realities of coastal communities. Sarah’s commitment to applied research means much of her research has been conducted in partnership with organisations seeking to enact social change. These results are therefore relayed in useable formats for policymakers and practitioners, including practically relevant guidance, frameworks and communication materials.