By Sophia Sanders, Stanford Master’s Student, Earth Systems Program

Historically, small-scale fisheries (SSFs) have been overlooked at national and global levels, and left out of policy frameworks that govern natural resources that fishing communities manage everyday. These same fisheries are incredibly impactful on a global scale, providing at least 40% (37.3 million tonnes) of total fisheries catches, and provides 2.3 billion people with, on average, 20% of their dietary intake across six key micronutrients essential for human health (Basurto et al., 2025).

The Tequio Kollektiv Co-lab, led by Xavier Basurto and Nicole Franz, works in support of and with local communities researching and developing methods and theory for community self-governance and self-reliance. The Co-lab engages in incredible projects that integrate participatory research with local communities, case study integration and analysis of traditional ecological knowledge, and methodological research on ocean governance and conservation. However, the Tequio Kollektiv lacked a platform to share their important work and fundamental values that shape their community-based approach to research.

For my project, I was able to create a Tequio Kollektiv website that showcases their research projects, values, and impacts. It also explores other methods of science communication like photography, videos, podcasts, and other art forms. All the photos used on the website are original photographs taken by either Nicole Franz or Xavier Basurto. It was an amazing opportunity to work with the Co-lab and be inspired by their creativity and use of multimedia. This website platform can be used to highlight their community collaborators, showcase their research, engage with prospective students, display their photography, and more. The future of the website includes more storytelling through photography and expanded project descriptions as the research continues to develop.

I learned so much about all the different forms that science communication can take from the SWAP program, its amazing lineup of speakers, and my mentors, Nicole Franz and Xavier Basurto. It makes me excited to continue bringing creativity into my future work, and see the power of effective communication.

View the website here.