Eric Thomas
Lecturer
Environmental Anthropology, Political Ecology
Education
PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2020)
Research Interests
I am an environmental anthropologist whose research applies a critical development perspective to contemporary state and capitalist projects along remote resource frontiers. For the past five years I have conducted ethnographic fieldwork on the coast of Chilean Patagonia, where a series of harmful algal blooms have resulted in the closure of fisheries and mass mortality events at local salmon farms. In the wake of these disasters, my work examines the relationship between industrial aquaculture and artisanal fishing in remote coastal communities as well as the long-term sustainability of these sectors of the coastal economy. My methods include participant observation, career histories, participatory mapping, surveys, and semi-structured interviews.