Kate Sherren

Landscapes - People - Global change

Category: Coasts (Page 1 of 27)

Congratulations Dr. Margeson!

February 20, 2026 /

Keahna Margeson’s hybrid examining committee

Absolutely delighted to introduce Dr. Keahna Margeson, after a stellar defense of her Interdisciplinary PhD dissertation, Using Comparative Social Impact Assessment to Understand Resistance and Support for Causeway Removal and Tidal River Restoration . Defenses aren’t recorded, but if it had been, it would have been a great training tool. Thanks to Dr. Guadalupe Ortiz Noguera for serving as such an insightful external reviewer,  and to Wenda Greer, Helena Martel, and Peter Tyedmers for chairing, organizing and repping the IDPhD (and photography), respectively. Massive gratitude to Keahna, her committee and co-supervisor for a wonderful 4.5-year collaboration. Thanks to so many of the lab for coming along to support Keahna, and especially Elson for bringing the party. The occasion has made the whole week shine.

The defense audience (after we put the bubbly stuff out of view)

Panel for McCall MacBain scholars

February 13, 2026 /

Me, Shannon, Rachael, Nicolas and Patricia ‘paneling’ for the McCall MacBain scholars.

Two weeks ago the McGill McCall MacBain scholars were on a site visit to Halifax, and invited me to join a panel at the Halifax Public Library called Rising Seas & Coastal Futures: Community-led Strategies, Impacts and Adaptation. It was a great line-up, with Shannon Fernandes from Halifax Regional Municipality, Nicolas Winkler from the Ecology Action Centre and Rachael Cadman from the Marine Affairs Program, all ably chaired by retired Dal Planning Professor Patricia Manuel. It was like a chat amongst old friends, and the students asked wonderful questions. Great to see ResNet HQP Siena Margorian amongst the McCall MacBain fellows (she is one of those thanking us above)!

TCA TranSECT workshops

February 12, 2026 /

Day 1 of the TranSECT workshops.

I spent Monday and Tuesday this week in workshops with my colleagues in the Transforming Climate Action TranSECT project. Overlooking the new blue whale skeleton in the Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity, we talked about nature-based solutions, dykeland futures, risk governance and citizen science, with an eye toward policy impact. The conversations were particularly enriched by the UQAR colleagues who made the trip from Rimouski for the event, Guillaume Marie, Pascal Bernatchez and Antoine Police. Particular thanks also to the expert discussants–Danika van Proosdij, Tony Bowron and Nancy Anningson–who joined us for the dykeland session from the ‘other TCA’, TransCoastal Adaptations Centre for Nature-based Solutions, to talk about their experience with managed dyke realignment in the province. A final thanks to all the HQP who helped out, working as organizers, note-takers, presenters, etc. Great to see this team in action, and make some concrete progress toward our milestones.

Jessica Blyth on ocean equity

January 28, 2026 /

Jessica Blyth, online at my hybrid lab team meeting.

I feel honoured that Brock scholar (and fellow Newfoundlander) Prof Jessica Blyth agreed to spend the morning of her big new Nature paper launch, The Ocean Equity Index,  talking about that work with my lab here at SRES. Starting with some of the most beautiful slides, we had a rich discussion of the approach, utility and opportunities their new tool represents. Thank you, Jessica!

What’s scarier? Article about flood mapping in The Narwhal

January 9, 2026 /

One of the better titles I’ve seen recently is for a recent article in The Narwhal by Xavi Richer Viz, What’s scarier for Canadian communities — floods, or flood maps? It’s an open question, as far as I can tell. Richer Viz tells some interesting stories about public push-back in various locations after the release of flood risk mapping, putting Canada decades behind other jurisdictions with respect to such public interest information. I enjoyed my conversation with Richer Viz,  telling him about the situation in Nova Scotia and sharing some of the research done with recent MES Samantha Howard.

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