2025 News 2025: New lab at SMAST focuses on fishing communities and manta ray conservation

National Geographic explorer Melissa Cronin leads the Shared Seas lab at SMAST

UMass Dartmouth's School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) is pleased to welcome Melissa Cronin, PhD, as an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries Oceanography. Cronin leads the newly established Shared Seas Lab, which investigates how industrial fisheries interact with marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Her work centers on two main topics: reducing the impacts of industrial tuna fishing on threatened shark and ray species and developing collaborative solutions surrounding the impact of industrial fishing on small-scale fishing communities.  

Before joining SMAST, Cronin earned her PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and completed a Smith Conservation Research Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University, where she built a global analysis of how industrial fleets can pose risks to small-scale fisheries, many of which are essential for food security and poverty alleviation worldwide. She is a National Geographic Explorer, and has received research funding from the Cedar Tree Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Save Our Seas Foundation, and more. Cronin comes from a background in environmental and public policy journalism, an experience that shapes her interdisciplinary approach to topics surrounding conservation, policy, and justice. 

Cronin is also the executive director and co-founder of FieldFutures, a program dedicated to preventing gender-based harassment and assault in scientific fieldwork settings. 

"SMAST is an incredible place for applied fisheries research. There are some world-class fisheries scientists here at SMAST." 

A conversation with Melissa Cronin 

What brought you to UMassD-SMAST? What do you think is special about this place? 

"SMAST is an incredible place for applied fisheries research. There are some world-class fisheries scientists here at SMAST. 

"I'm also drawn to the intellectual freedom offered here.  I have the flexibility to pursue important questions in a critical and interdisciplinary way. My research touches on social science, ecological systems, and human systems, and I have the freedom to explore the ways these topics intersect."  

What are the benefits of doing research here in New Bedford? 

"In some places, fishing is sort of 'out of sight, out of mind.' Here in New Bedford, fisheries are part of daily life. From fishing and marine energy to recreation and conservation, the city's identity is deeply tied to the ocean. That connection creates an ideal environment for applied, community-informed research.  

"That's really the heart of the Shared Seas Lab: producing research that can inform how human communities can coexist with biodiverse ecosystems. 

"Plus, there is such a rich historical and literary legacy here in New Bedford with connections to Herman Melville and the whaling industry. If you're into science, history, and literature, this is a great place to be!" 

Current projects in the Shared Seas Lab 

Cronin and her graduate student, Isabella Garfield MS ’27, are examining how industrial tuna fishing affects mobulids, a group that includes endangered manta and devil rays, caught unintentionally as bycatch. 

"My research focuses on identifying the drivers of mobulid bycatch in Pacific tropical tuna fisheries," Garfield explained. "By studying how individual fisher decision-making impacts bycatch rates, we can identify and promote best practices that help fishers maintain their livelihoods while protecting endangered species."  

Cronin recently published research on the effectiveness of a new device, developed in collaboration with fishers, aimed at saving rays that get caught in tuna nets.  

The Shared Seas Lab is also working to identify areas where industrial fishing and other factors threaten small-scale fishing communities and develop potential solutions.  

"In the future, we hope to open up opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in the lab," Cronin said. "Our work might appeal to students interested in data analysis, conservation, blue justice, and how we can be good stewards of our ocean."