RISING OCEAN LEADERS PANEL
Along the coast, to the open-ocean, and the depths of the sea
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Our coastlines and oceans are plagued by competing interests. As interests intersect and problems grow, the next generation of ocean leaders will need to be cross-disciplinary, collaborative problem-solvers. Leaders that will use their understanding of complex marine processes and policies to actuate responsible usage of oceanic resources coupled with conservation, and inspire mindful approaches to the blue economy. In the Monterey Bay area, educational institutions have extended their definition of ‘education’ to prepare students to meet this budding need through MARINE and other institutional organizations. This year’s MARINE Colloquium focuses on how individuals in this area have demonstrated leadership in the ocean sector and ideas for the next group of leaders in the coastal and oceanic realm.
Panelists
Dr. Jim Harvey
Jim Harvey is the current Director of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and has taught at Moss Landing since 1989. Himself a 1979 graduate of the Moss Landing Masters program, he returned to chair the Vertebrate Ecology Lab after obtaining a Ph.D. in Oceanography (with minors in Wildlife Ecology and Statistics) at Oregon State University in 1987, and completing a NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship with NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, Washington, in 1989. Currently, Dr. Harvey’s research includes studies regarding feeding ecology of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii); pinniped/fishery interactions; assessing natural and anthropogenic changes in populations of birds, mammals, and turtles in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary; and development of remote attachment and release mechanisms for data recorders on cetaceans, pinnipeds, and sea turtles. Dr. Harvey serves on a federally-mandated Task Force devoted to sea lion/steelhead fisheries interactions at the Ballard Locks in Washington. He is a member of the Research Activity Panel for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Reserve Advisory Committee for the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Research Advisory Committee for The Marine Mammal Center.
Dr. Laura Good
Laura Good is the Science Education and Outreach Coordinator at California State University, Monterey Bay. Originally from the UK, Laura’s background is in Marine Resource Management and Informal Science Education. Laura earned her BS in ocean science from the University of Plymouth (UK), and both her MS in marine resource management and PhD in science education from Oregon State University. She spent 5 years as the education manager for the Center for Ocean Solutions, where she managed their leadership development and ocean education activities, including the MARINE program. Her research interests center on marine education, scientist engagement in education and outreach, and professional development for informal educators, where her doctoral work focused on the interpretive practice of science center docents as they communicate science to the public. Laura specializes in free choice learning, a term used to describe learning that takes place in our everyday lives, where we have choice and control over the learning opportunities at hand.
Aimee David
Aimee David serves as the director of the ocean conservation policy strategies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Since joining the Aquarium in 2005, Aimee has helped develop and advance federal and state policies to improve ocean health and protect marine wildlife in California, at the national level, and throughout the Pacific Ocean. Specifically, Aimee has helped lead Aquarium initiatives to ban the trade of shark fin products in California, reduce ocean plastic pollution, and raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on oceans and coasts. She also helped create the Aquarium Conservation Partnership, which aims to increase the collective conservation impact of U.S. aquariums. Prior to the Aquarium, Aimee served on the staff of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy in Washington, DC, where she participated in the research and development of a comprehensive suite of recommendations to the President and Congress for improving U.S. ocean governance and management. Aimee is a graduate of the University of Virginia and received her M.S. in marine resource management from Oregon State University.