Biography

Malachy McCaffrey (he/him) is a master’s student in Biological Oceanography and NSF Graduate Research Fellow working under the mentorship of Dr. Kristy Lewis at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. He is a coastal and marine scientist with experiences that include serving as a fisheries observer in the Bering Sea, monitoring coral reef health along the Florida Reef Tract, and managing an estuarine water quality monitoring program in the Texas Coastal Bend. These roles have emphasized the value and necessity of integrating technical science with community-based participatory research to solve “wicked” problems that threaten coastal communities and ecosystems. 

Malachy’s thesis research blends advanced GIS and remote sensing with ethnographic narratives to reveal how fishing and non-fishing vessel activity have changed over time proximal to offshore wind farms in Southern New England. Following the completion of his master’s degree, Malachy intends to leverage a robust analytical skill set and experience facilitating community partnerships to gain employment with an organization that conducts work at the intersection of ocean stewardship and environmental justice.