Marine Conservation, Women’s Solidarity, and Sustainable Solutions for Haiti

How to Do Science in Times of Crisis?

With a PhD in Geography and Climate Change, Alexandra V. D. Pierre is dedicated to research in marine conservation. Her social and scientific commitment has earned her several honors, including being named a “Personnalité d’avenir” by the French Embassy in Haiti (2017) and “Outstanding Junior Female Researcher” by Quisqueya University (2023). Today, she focuses on the “sisterhood of women traders” in Haiti’s fishing sector, exploring how they navigate and respond to the country’s ongoing economic crisis.

How did you go from Haiti’s unstable context to research labs in France?

My journey began at Haiti’s Ministry of Environment, where I was directly confronted with the ecological challenges of a country struggling with underdevelopment. I pursued a joint international PhD between Nantes Université (France) and Quisqueya University (Haiti). A research mobility grant from the FMSH's “Thémis” program provided a much-needed space of calm, far from the heavy political and logistical constraints of Haiti. For three months, I deepened a key aspect of my doctoral work on “The Marine Protected Area (MPA) race in the Caribbean: Focus on governance challenges in Haiti, Cuba, and Guadeloupe”, in an environment conducive to creativity and focus. Hosted at the LETG laboratory (Coasts, Environment, Remote Sensing, Geomatics) in Nantes, I conducted a captivating study on gender and marine conservation under the mentorship of exceptional professor Michel Desse. This research builds on my dissertation’s findings, which revealed the tokenistic involvement of women in MPA implementation in Haiti. Far from being just an academic break, this immersion in France reignited my deep commitment to the Caribbean. Today, I am more convinced than ever that research must amplify the voices of those often made invisible. In Haiti, it must help co-create meaningful solutions with the silent victims of chronic instability.

To learn more : https://www.fmsh.fr/chercheurs/alexandra-pierre