Adjunct Research Fellow – ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University (2013 – present)

Research Interests

Pip’s research activities largely focus on understanding the roles of social networks, economic development and changing policy, culture, and demography, on small-scale fisheries governance. Her work is focused in the least developed countries of the Pacific, in particular Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Timor L’este.  Her research employs an interdisciplinary approach to critically evaluate the contributions of community-based and cross-scale fisheries governance to ecological, food security and livelihood outcomes.   Given Pip’s role in WorldFish, and their emphasis on ‘Research in Development’, her research is commonly applied, conducted in partnership with local communities and governments, concurrent with development activities, and as a result embedded in the development context.  In addition to journal publications, her research is regularly translated into manuals and workshops for fisheries managers, and policy briefs and reports for governments and NGOs. Now as a scientist on The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems, Pip is developing a cross-sector research pathway, that initially examines governance in general, and leadership in particular within aquatic agricultural systems. Given that Pip works in highly biodiverse and economically developing country contexts, she has an ongoing interest in the nexus between conservation and development agendas, and between goals of economic development and wellbeing.

Publications online

Select Publications

• Jupiter., S, P. Cohen, R. Weeks, A. Tawake, H. Govan (2014) Locally-managed marine areas: multiple objectives and diverse strategies. Pacific Conservation Biology 20:165–179

• Cohen P., S. Tapala, A. Rikio, E. Kukiti, F. Sori, Z. Hilly, T. Alexander, S. Foale (2014) Developing a common understanding of taxonomy for fisheries management in North Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands. SPC Trad Mar Res Mgt and Know Bull 33:3-12  Link to pdf

• Mills M, J. Álvarez-Romero, K. Vance-Borland, P. Cohen, R. Pressey, A. Guerrero, H. Ernstson (2014) Social network analysis for systematic conservation planning. Biological Conservation 169:6–13

• Cohen, P., Cinner, J., & Foale, S. (2013). Fishing dynamics associated with periodically-harvested marine closures. Global Environmental Change, 23(6), 1702-1713. Link to pdf

• Cohen, P., & T. Alexander  (2013). Catch rates, composition and fish size from reefs managed with periodically-harvested closures. PLoSONE, 8(9), e73383. doi: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073383 Link to pdf

• Ratner, B. D., P. Cohen, B. Barman, K. Mam, J. Nagoli & E. Allison (2013). Governance of aquatic agricultural systems; analyzing representation, power and accountability. Ecology and Society, 18(4), 59 Link to pdf

• Cohen, P. and S. Foale, (2013) Sustaining small-scale fisheries with periodically harvested marine reserves, Marine Policy 37:278-287

• Cohen, P., L. Evans, and M. Mills, (2012) Social networks supporting governance of coastal ecosystems in Solomon Islands.  Conservation Letters. 5:376-386

• Foale, S., D. Adhuri, P. Aliño, E. Allison, N. Andrew, P.Cohen, L. Evans, M. Fabinyi, P. Fidelman, C. Gregory, N. Stacey, J. Tanzer, N. Weeratunge (2012) Food security and the Coral Triangle Initiative. Marine Policy. 38 174–183

• Foale, S., P. Cohen, S. Januchowski-Hartley, A. Wenger, M. Macintyre (2010). Tenure and taboos: origins and implications for fisheries in the Pacific. Fish and Fisheries. 12: 357-369