KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� Feb. 11, 2026 鈥� Aida Pauls didn鈥檛 expect a required course in socioeconomics to change her career path. While earning her master鈥檚 degree in fisheries management at the University of Miami, the Maryland native enrolled in the class anticipating it might be boring. Instead, it sparked a fascination with how economics, ethics, and seafood intersect鈥攁n interest that led her to the 溏心vlog免费B站 and, now, national recognition for her work in marine resource economics.
Now residing in North Kingstown, Pauls, a Ph.D. candidate in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 working with Professor Hirotsugu Uchida, was one of five graduate students nationwide to receive a National Marine Fisheries Service鈥揝ea Grant Joint Fellowship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The competitive program trains the next generation of fisheries scientists and economists to support sustainable marine resource management.
She was the only awardee nationwide in the fellowship鈥檚 marine resource economics category. 鈥淚 think my research stood out because the results are applicable to many consumers in coastal areas,鈥� said Pauls. More than 40% of the U.S. population lives in coastal areas.
“Selected from a highly competitive pool, Aida was able to distinguish herself with a strong application aligning with the NOAA NMFS鈥揝ea Grant mission. As a Ph.D. candidate in resource economics, she brings rigorous analytical and applied research expertise to the fellowship, and we are looking forward to seeing the impact she will make in advancing science-based management and effective stewardship of marine resources,” said Tracey Dalton, Rhode Island Sea Grant director.
At the center of Pauls’ research is consumer behavior. 鈥淓ssentially, my research looks at consumer willingness to pay for more sustainable types of seafood鈥攚hether that be sustainability for the environment or for the people who are responsible for catching the seafood,鈥� said Pauls.
Her work focuses on two primary projects. 鈥淔irst, I investigate how much consumers are willing to pay for fish that was killed using the ikejime method,鈥� she explains. 鈥淪econd, I look at how much consumers are willing to pay for fish that did not come in contact with forced labor during the supply chain process when this information is communicated through an ecolabel.鈥�
According to Uchida, this research demonstrates how consumer purchasing behavior can be leveraged to improve labor practices within the seafood industry. 鈥淭o our knowledge, this is the first study investigating whether an ecolabel-like concept can be applied鈥攁nd be effective鈥攊n encouraging sound and legal labor practices onboard fishing vessels and aquaculture farms,鈥� he said.
The findings have clear implications for fisheries policy, offering insight into how ethical fishing practices can be communicated to consumers and how consumer preferences shape demand for responsibly sourced seafood. The work could support Rhode Island鈥檚 small-scale commercial fishing industry and inform the development of new ecolabels that raise awareness of forced labor in seafood supply chains. 鈥淏eyond academia, I hope my work will be useful to the fishing communities that I have worked with in Rhode Island,鈥� Pauls said, noting that the research could also be applied across coastal New England.
A key component of the fellowship is mentorship from NOAA Fisheries scientists, which Pauls says has helped her refine her research focus. 鈥淭here is a tendency in research to make projects all-encompassing,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd then when it comes time to analyze the results, a clear conclusion can鈥檛 be drawn. Working with my advisor and mentor allows me to really focus on my research questions and how to answer them.鈥�
Since 1999, the NOAA Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program has addressed the growing need for expertise in fisheries stock assessments, ecosystem modeling, and economic analysis. The program has supported more than 134 population dynamics fellows and 42 marine resource economics fellows, many of whom now hold key roles within NOAA Fisheries, academic institutions, and fishery management councils.
鈥淭his award showcases all of the hard work that I have put into my research and field of study in the past few years,鈥� Pauls added. 鈥淚 didn’t even know this field existed until a few years ago, so to be rewarded with this recognition means more than I could ever dream of!鈥�
This story was written by Anna Gray in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences.