Maryam Hatami is a PhD student in Environmental Science at the University of Tehran, Iran, currently undertaking a six-month research visit to the Department of Oceanography at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Her research focuses on marine spatial planning (MSP), seascape ecology, and marine ecosystem services, with a particular interest in supporting sustainable marine development and marine ecosystem conservation.

Her doctoral research aims to develop an algorithm for marine spatial planning using a seascape ecology approach, focusing on the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The project integrates ecosystem service assessment, analysis of spatial conflicts among marine uses and activities, suitability analysis, marine ecological sensitivity assessment, and the analysis of human pressures to develop a coordinated spatial planning framework for marine activities.

During her visit to UCT, Maryam hopes to deepen her understanding of ocean processes and strengthen the integration of oceanographic knowledge into marine spatial planning.

Her academic host in the Department of Oceanography is Professor Isabelle Ansorge.
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