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Postdoctoral Research FellowResearch UnitPelagic Ecosystems Lab |
Degrees
PhD Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia
Biography
Meaghan is an archaeologist and historical ecologist, and an expert in utilizing transdisciplinary approaches to reconstructing past ecosystem baselines to better understand social-ecological systems and environmental change over deep time. Her postdoctoral research focuses on on developing three stackable micro-credential courses on the Sustainable Blue Economy (SBE), designed to meet Canada’s growing need for a skilled workforce in this rapidly evolving sector. The courses will adopt an interdisciplinary approach to ocean science, combining natural sciences, social sciences, and Indigenous knowledge to address pressing ocean challenges. Key topics will include Indigenous stewardship, coastal ecology, economics, climate change, and fisheries management, emphasizing practical, real-world applications. These courses will provide skill development in science communication, integrating multiple knowledge systems in research, and engaging with policy through hands-on projects and case studies. Meaghan is a queer, disabled settler scientist and a Registered Professional Archaeologist (ID 5450). She is a guest on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.
Research Interests/Keywords
Archaeology, ecology, coastal stewardship, Blue Economy
Contact Information
Email: m.efford@oceans.ubc.ca
Selected Publications
Efford, Meaghan; Santiago de la Puente; Micheal George; Michelle George; Alessandria Testani; Spencer Taft; Jesse Morin; Jay Hilsden; Jennifer Zhu; Pengpeng Chen; Lindsey Paskulin; Ginevra Toniello; Villy Christensen; Camilla Speller. 2024. A fish-focused menu: an interdisciplinary reconstruction of Ancestral Tsleil-Waututh diets. Journal of Ethnobiology, 44(3).
Morin, Jesse; Evans, Blake; and Efford, Meaghan. 2023. Using Ethnohistoric Data to Correct Historical Ecological Baselines: Urbanization and the Collapse of Forage Fish in Vancouver. Institute Publications 36.
Efford, Meaghan, Spencer Taft, Jesse Morin, Micheal George, Michelle George, Hannah Cavers, Jay Hilsden, Lindsey Paskulin, Doris Loewen, Jennifer Zhu, Villy Christensen, and Camilla Speller. 2023. Archaeology demonstrates sustainable ancestral Coast Salish salmon stewardship over thousands of years. PloS ONE 18(8): e0289797.
Efford, Meaghan. 2023. Grand Challenges in Ocean Leadership: Course Handbook. Pressbooks.
Morin, Jesse; Evans, Aaron Blake; Efford, Meaghan. (2023). The Rise of Vancouver and the Collapse of Forage Fish: A Story of Urbanization and the Destruction of an Aquatic Ecosystem on the Salish Sea (1885-1920 CE). Human Ecology.
Sumaila, UR et al. 2021. WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies. Science 374(6567): 544.
Efford, Meaghan. September 17, 2020. Destruction in your background: why we need to keep industry accountable. Guest Post published by OceanBites.
Couture, Fanny; Efford, Meaghan; Mangar, Roshni; Oddo, Matias. April 8, 2020. Habitat Change in Burrard Inlet: Mapping the Evolution of Coastal Waters in Metro Vancouver. StoryMap published through ESRI StoryMaps.
Efford, Meaghan; Hicks, Adam; Mejaes, Annie; Oddo, Matias. Hidden Consequences. 2020. Video
Efford, Meaghan. 2017. An Archaeological Assessment of Rare Shellfish at Two Nuu-chah-nulth Sites: Kakmakimilh (306T) and Huu7ii (DfSh-7). A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Historical Ecology and Coastal Archaeology at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Instructor: Iain McKechnie.
Efford, Meaghan. 2016. The Implications of Thermogenic Modification for Anthropological Recovery of Burned Bone. Arbutus Review. 7(1): 20-37.
Selected Recent Media Coverage
Kerr-Lazenby, Mina. CBC News. August 19, 2024. “New study confirms Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s rich pre-colonial diet: High-protein diet built around salmon, forage fish, shellfish and marine birds from Burrard Inlet, study says.”
Kerr-Lazenby, Mina. North Shore News. August 17, 2024. “What did the Tsleil-Waututh people eat 500 years ago?”.
Wood, Steph Kwetásel’wet. The Narwhal. August 07, 2024. “What dinner in Burrard Inlet looked like 500 years ago: Tsleil-Waututh Nation hopes to use data on its ancestors’ diet to restore habitat and heal the heavily industrialized Burrard Inlet”.
Walls, Alex. UBC Press. August 30, 2023: “Salmon bones confirm sustainable chum fishery for 2,500 years under Tsleil-Waututh Nation”.
Kaljur, Lauren. Hakai Magazine, July 17, 2023: “We Knew Vancouver’s Ecosystem Was Damaged. The Truth Is So Much Worse”.