Nikita Gaibor (He/him)

Nikita Gaibor (He/him) is a professor at the Universidad del Pacífico, Guayaquil, Ecuador (https://web.upacifico.edu.ec/). He teaches anthropology, sustainable development, and strategic planning to undergraduate and graduate students. He is also a Project Coordinator at the Ecuadorian Public Institute for Aquaculture and Fisheries Research, since August 2020. He is in charge of establishing cooperation with other national and international organizations to develop and execute marine research projects. In this role, he has developed management and leadership skills in developing fisheries research and environmental programs, organizing and conducting educational workshops with fishermen, scientists, and decision makers. In addition, Nikita has participated in many international meetings, workshops and conferences related to fisheries and marine environment. Nikita received his Ph.D. in Marine Affairs from the [University of Rhode Island] (/org/university-of-rhode-island) in May 2016. His research focused on aspects of circle hook management and technology transfer in artisanal fisheries in Ecuador.

His research broadly explores the intersections of socio-political, anthropology and ecological systems. He is interested in the study of common pool resources in coastal and marine environments focusing on mangrove forests and their associated artisanal fisheries, such as red crab (Ucides occidentalis) and mangrove cockles (Anadara tuberculosa), as well as in the perception and local knowledge of fishers. In recent years, he has ventured into studies of macroplastics on sandy beaches and in rivers to learn about the impact of these anthropogenic debris to seek solutions. Nikita has used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, ethnographic and fisheries data, as well as geographic information systems to study human-environment interactions and evaluate the social-ecological effects of collective action, property arrangements, civil society, customary norms in fishing, and coastal management policies in Ecuador. I speak Spanish, English and Portuguese. His favorite sports of his are soccer and tennis, being a fan of Messi and Nadal, respectively.