Ross, Annie
annie.ross@uq.edu.au
University of Queensland, AU
Community – Marovo
SOC
Current affiliation, academic qualifications and contact details.
Dr Anne Ross, BA (Hons) [University of Sydney], PhD [Macquarie
University]School of Natural and Rural Systems Management and School of Social
Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
+ 61 7 3365 1450
+ 61 7 3365 1544 (fax)
annie.ross@uq.edu.au
Research record and ongoing work
My research in the Solomon Islands has primarily focused on how the peoples of
Marovo perceive their environment. During 2006 and 2007, with a student of mine,
Mr Mark Love, we undertook a number of surveys and questionnaires to determine
Marovo people’s attitudes to water degradation and fish-stock changes in the lagoon.
We found that many people wanted information about the science associated with
lagoon health and marine degradation made available to schools. Consequently Mark
and I developed some education materials for primary schools and for use in Seventh
Day Adventist Sabbath Schools.
The UQ project team has written a community-based report on the results of the first
stage of the research project, and we have also completed a report on this first part of
the UQ project. In the second stage of the project, the social science team aims to
expand the survey and questionnaires to other villages to determine what, if any,
differences in perceptions of the lagoon and the fishery exist. As a whole, the project
team is also expanding the education materials to meet specific requests by Marovo
village communities.
My knowledge of SI Pijin is passable and I am able to use Marovo words that
commonly replace Pijin vocabulary in Marovo Lagoon. I do not speak Marovo.
Nevertheless, the UQ project team has made many efforts to develop educational
materials in local language by having resource kits translated before publication.
The research being undertaken by the UQ project team as a whole will help people
living in Marovo lagoon to understand the impacts that development and geological
catastrophes have had and may continue to have on the environment and resources of
the lagoon. The social science research demonstrates that people both understand and
are concerned about the nexus between development change and the long-term
viability of the lagoon to sustain local communities and people’s livelihoods. The
development of educational materials that address some of the specific concerns of
the communities in the lagoon have the potential to ensure that people bring an
awareness of the science of lagoon health to the management planning table.
Key publications/reports/materials
S. Albert, J. Udy, I. Tibbetts, N. Duke, D. Neil, M. Love, C. Roelfsema and A. Ross
2006 Chiniena ba lineana pa Marovo Lagoon [Condition of the marine environments
in Marovo Lagoon]. Report to Marovo community. University of Queensland,
Brisbane.
S. Albert, M. Love, C. Roelfsema, N. Duke, J. Udy and I. Tibbetts 2007 Marovo: A
lagoon and people facing change. In Duke et al. (eds) Conserving the marine
biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon: development of environmental management
initiative that will conserve the marine biodiversity and productivity of
Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. pp. 29-41. The University of Queensland,
Brisbane.
S. Albert, M. Love, J. Udy, I. Tibbetts, C. Roelfsema, D. Neil, G. Manion, S. Hough,
A. Ross and N. Duke 2007 Science addressing community concerns about the
marine environment. In Duke et al. (eds) Conserving the marine biodiversity
of Marovo Lagoon: development of environmental management initiative that
will conserve the marine biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon,
Solomon Islands. pp. 43-83. The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
N. Duke, J. Udy, S. Albert, M. Love, A. Ross, I. Tibbetts, C. Rolelfsema, D. Neil, G.
Manion, J. Prange, J. Corrin-Care, R. W. Carter, P. Dart and S. Hough (eds)
2007 Conserving the marine biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon: development of
environmental management initiative that will conserve the marine
biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. The
University of Queensland, Brisbane.
N. Duke, M. Love, S. Albert, J. Udy, A. Ross, I. Tibbetts, C. Roelfsema, R.W. Carter,
J. Corrin-Care and D. Neil 2007 The UQ Marovo Experience: science-based
support for community management of marine resources. In Duke et al. (eds)
Conserving the marine biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon: development of
environmental management initiative that will conserve the marine
biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. pp. 11-27.
The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
A. Grinham 2007 Downstream effects of land use on shallow-water benthic
microalgal communities in Moreton Bay, Australia, and Marovo Lagoon,
Solomon Islands. PhD thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane.
M. Love 2006 Projected epistemologies and unintended consequences: in
consideration of environmental change and marine protected areas in Marovo
Lagoon, Solomon Islands. B.A. Honours thesis, University of Queensland,
Brisbane.
M. Love and A. Ross 2006 Preliminary anthropological field report: UQ Solomon
Marovo Project Report. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
M. Love, A. Ross and J. Corrin-Care 2007 Strengthening community capacity. In
Duke et al. (eds) Conserving the marine biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon:
development of environmental management initiative that will conserve the
marine biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. pp.
85-97. The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
M. Love and A. Ross 2007 Social and cultural considerations. In Duke et al. (eds)
Conserving the marine biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon: development of
environmental management initiative that will conserve the marine
biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. pp. 99109. The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
M. Love, A. Ross, J. Udy, R.W. Carter and C. Howell 2007 Economic
considerations. In Duke et al. (eds) Conserving the marine biodiversity of
Marovo Lagoon: development of environmental management initiative that
will conserve the marine biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon,
Solomon Islands. pp. 111-127. The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
M. Love, J. Corrin-Care and A. Ross with S. Albert, I. Tibbetts, J. Udy. C. Roelfsema
and N. Duke 2007 Lessons learned, future directions and recommendations.
In Duke et al. (eds) Conserving the marine biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon:
development of environmental management initiative that will conserve the
marine biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands. pp.
129-141. The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Further ideas and reflections
I look forward to further communications from you in this matter in due course.
Once again, thank you for your invitation to participate in this important initiative.
MATERIALS
Ross – cv.doc