Dr Patrick Hayes

Research Fellow, Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities, School of Histories and Humanities, Trinity College Dublin.

As an environmental historian who focuses on the marine world, I study the state of past oceans and our evolving relationship with them. By examining historical records, I aim to understand the scale and nature of fishing practices in different periods, shedding light on the exploitation and management of marine resources throughout history. This research has direct present-day conservation and restoration benefits, helping to inform sustainable practices and support community-led efforts to restore marine ecosystems.

I am currently a Research Fellow on the 4-Oceans project and was previously an Aspiration Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria, Canada. My recent projects include a 500-year reconstruction of historical catches in Newfoundland and a study of Indigenous clam harvesting in British Columbia, both focused on supporting marine restoration. I am the author of Ireland’s Sea Fisheries, 1400–1600: Economics, Environment and Ecology and co-editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Human Marine Exploitation.

hayesp6@tcd.ie