Maï Yasué

Maï Yasué is an interdisciplinary conservation scientist conducting research on how to achieve socially and economically sustainable conservation strategies in developing countries.

Maï holds an MSc from the University of Oxford and a PhD from the University of Victoria where her focus was on the impacts of tourism development on shorebirds in Thailand. Other past research includes marine ecotourism in Baja California, as well as the design of appropriate data collection methods to understand H5N1 avian influenza in waterbird populations. In terrestrial environments, she has examined socioeconomic political factors influencing the success of forest certification schemes and the potential of using international climate policy for biodiversity protection and poverty mitigation.

As an educator her goals are to encourage students to see linkages across disciplines and countries and to think about the impacts that we have on people in developing countries, other species and natural systems.

Her current research focuses on using ecological and socioeconomic data to better understand the effectiveness and socioeconomic benefits of community-based marine protected areas in the Philippines. In addition, she is also examining how the listing of seahorses under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) affected trade patterns and profits for traditional Chinese medicine traders in Hong Kong.

Maï's personal interests are in exploring amazing natural environments, martial arts, climbing and cooking ridiculously spicy curries.

For more information on my research and publications see:
http://seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/team/myasue.html