Kristin Hoel was a postgraduate student from the United States who studied Marine Biology at James Cook University. She has always been intrigued by people’s relationship with the environment. This passion has led her to diverse experiences working with communities in the United States, Ecuador, Fiji, and Australia. Learning directly from such communities has shaped Kristin’s interest in exploring co-management and adaptable management strategies for marine resources. She is particularly interested in working to understand the wide array of marine resource user values and working to uncover what commonalities may prove useful for effective management and communication.