Oceans for the New Millennium:
Developing and Implementing Ocean Policy
A conference and reception co-sponsored by the
American Association for the Advancement of Science and the
American Geophysical Union.

Overview | Agenda | Speaker Bios | Abstracts
July 18, 2000, 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
House Cannon Caucus Room, U.S. House of Representatives

Speaker Biographies

Members of Congress:
Rep. Tom Allen (D-ME)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD)
Rep. Jim Greenwood (R-PA)
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ)
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA)

D. James Baker
Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Dr. Baker is Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this position, he is responsible for the National Weather Service; the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the National Ocean Service; and NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. He serves as the United States Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission.

He previously served as President of Joint Oceanographic Institutions Incorporated; as Dean of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington; as a Group Leader for Deep-Sea Physics at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; as an Associate Professor at Harvard University; and as a Research Associate at the University of Rhode Island. He is author of the book Planet Earth—The View form Space, published by Harvard University Press in 1990, and has written extensively on climate, oceanography, and space technology issues. He is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and of AAAS.

Robert D. Ballard
President, Institute for Exploration

In addition to serving as president of the Institute for Exploration, a role he has filled since 1995, Dr. Ballard also serves as a Scientist Emeritus at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, Founder and Chief Scientist of the JASON Foundation for Education, Waltham, MA, Chairman of the Board at the Odyssey Corporation, Lyme, CT, and a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Best known to the public for his discovery of the Titanic, he has authored several well-known books on ocean exploration. The Discovery of the Titanic (1987) and The Discovery of the Bismarck (1990), both New York Times #1 Bestsellers, have been translated into ten and eight languages, respectively. He has produced numerous documentaries, including the Emmy-winning TBS/National Geographic special "Last Voyage of the Lusitania," and the IMAX film "The Living Sea." In addition to receiving many honors and awards over his career, including 13 honorary degrees, he has published articles in numerous prestigious academic journals, including Science and Nature.

Dr. Ballard received a B.S. in Physical Science in 1965 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Geophysics from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School in Oceanography.

Donald F. Boesch
President, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland

Don Boesch is President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), where he also holds the rank of Professor. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Boesch received a B.S. in Biology from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary. He was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Queensland and was later on the William and Mary faculty. Before moving to Maryland in 1990, he was the first Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and a Professor at LSU.

Dr. Boesch is an internationally known marine ecologist who has conducted research in coastal and continental shelf environments along the Atlantic Coast, and in the Gulf of Mexico, eastern Australia and the East China Sea. He has published two books and more than 60 papers on marine benthos, estuaries, wetlands, the continental shelf, oil pollution, nutrient over-enrichment, environmental assessment and monitoring, and science policy. He has served on the scientific advisory boards of many federal agencies and on both the Marine Board and Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council. In addition, he has chaired a number of nationally prominent assessments addressing Louisiana coastal wetland loss, environmental problems in Florida Bay, the prevention control and mitigation of harmful algal blooms, and the consequences of climate change on coastal ecosystems.

Michael H. Bothner
Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey

Dr. Bothner has served since 1989 as the principal investigator for a multi-disciplinary marine research program in Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay to evaluate changes associated with discharges from one of the world’s largest sewage treatment plants. He is also working on investigations of sediment and pollutant transport in coral reefs of Hawaii, and on research developing new techniques to measure the flux of dissolved metals out of contaminated coastal sediments. He has authored or co-authored 85 scientific publications dealing with marine environmental geochemistry. He received a B.A. in Chemistry and Geology from Bowdoin College in 1966, a M.A. in Geology from Dartmouth College in 1968, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Washington in 1973.

William Yancy Brown
Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior

Dr. Brown was appointed Science Advisor to Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt on April 13, 1997. He advises the Secretary and provides leadership on diverse issues concerning science and policy at the Department. Before his appointment as Science Advisor, Dr. Brown held positions including Senior Fellow, World Wildlife Fund; Principal, Hagler Bailly Consulting; Vice President, Waste Management, Inc.; Senior Scientist and Attorney and Acting Executive Director, Environmental Defense Fund; Executive Secretary, U.S. Endangered Species Scientific Authority; and Assistant Professor, Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Brown has served on the boards of various non-profit environmental organizations including the Center for Marine Conservation and the Environmental Law Institute. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia (B.A. 1969, Biology, with highest distinction), Johns Hopkins University (M.A.T. 1970), the University of Hawaii (Ph.D. 1973, Zoology), and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1977).

James T. Carlton
Director, Maritime Studies Program, Williams College and Mystic Seaport

Dr. Carlton is Professor of Marine Sciences at Williams College (Williamstown, MA) and Director, The Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport (Mystic, CT). His research is on how modern-day marine communities have been altered by deletions (extinctions) and additions (invasions) of species. His research on global marine bioinvasions involves their impacts, dispersal mechanisms, and management strategies. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the new (1999) international journal, "Biological Invasions." He is a 1996 Pew Fellow in the Environment and Conservation, a AAAS Fellow, a Distinguished Research Fellow of the University of California, and a 1998 Duke University Conservation Scholar. He was Co-Chair of the Marine Biodiversity Committee of the National Academy of Sciences, is a member of the Steering Committee of the UN Global Invasive Species Program (GISP), has been Chair since 1990 of the Working Group on Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and has since 1995 been on the US delegation to the UN International Maritime Organization ballast working group meetings in London. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse and a Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution and the California Academy of Sciences. He also serves as the International Member of the Advisory Committee to the CSIRO Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests (CRIMP) in Australia. He has testified five times on invasive species issues before Senate and House subcommittees, and was Principal Investigator of the "Shipping Study" mandated under 1990 law. In April 1999 he received the U.S. Government’s Interagency 1999 Recognition Award for Significant and Sustained Contributions to the Prevention and Control of Nonindigenous Species in America’s Aquatic Ecosystems, the first such recognition awarded to a U.S. scientist.

Billy D. Causey
Superintendent, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Mr. Causey is currently the superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. He was appointed to the position in 1993, following two years as Sanctuary Project Manager. As the lead National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) official in the development of the management plan for this 2,800 square nautical mile marine protected area, he serves as the liaison with local, state and other federal agencies responsible for management of natural resources in the Florida Keys. Mr. Causey received a B.A. degree from the University of Corpus Christi in 1967, and a M.S. degree from Texas A&I University in 1969. Three years of post graduate work at the University of South Florida introduced him to the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem. Causey has served with the National Park Service as a Park Ranger and has also worked as a commerical diver and research assistant.

RADM Jay M. Cohen
Chief of Naval Research

Rear Admiral Jay M. Cohen, became the 20th Chief of Naval Research on June 7, 2000, during a change of command at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. He relieved RADM Paul G. Gaffney, II. In addition to his new position of Chief of Naval Research, RADM Cohen assumed the duties of Director, Test and Evaluation and Technology Requirements in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and Deputy Commandant for Science and Technology, U.S. Marine Corps. As the Department of the Navy’s senior science and technology executive, RADM Cohen is responsible for a greater than $1 billion program that ranges from funding basic research at universities and military and industrial labs to development of manufacturing technologies. The ONR command, which is based in Arlington, VA, includes scientific liaison offices in London and Tokyo which keep abreast of advances in the overseas development of science and technology, participate in international conferences and act as liaison to the international scientific establishment. Also under ONR command is the Navy’s corporate laboratory, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in Washington, DC, with branches in Stennis Space Center, MS, and Monterey, CA. NRL is a leader in the development of science and technology relevant to all aspects of naval warfare, including control of the seas, littoral areas, naval airspace, the middle atmosphere, and space.

RADM Cohen received his commission upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1968, where he was a Trident Scholar. After graduation, he qualified as a Navy diver with the SEALAB Group in San Diego. He studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under the Navy’s Burke Scholarship Program. He received a joint Ocean Engineering degree and Master of Science in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture from MIT. RADM Cohen is authorized to wear the Defense Superior Service Medal and multiple awards of the Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal. He is submarine and surface warfare qualified.

Jean-Michel Cousteau
President and Founder, Ocean Futures Society

Jean-Michel Cousteau has carried on his family legacy of ocean exploration and conservation, starting from the age of seven when his father, Jacques Cousteau, first introduced him to the sea (by pushing him overboard with a scuba tank on his back). Today, Jean-Michel is President and Founder of the Ocean Futures Society, which is dedicated to communicating with the public on critical marine issues and helping to activate action partnerships amongst decision-makers. As a voice for the ocean, Jean-Michel is tireless in his efforts to raise public awareness about the declining health of the ocean, its habitats and inhabitants.

Ocean Futures Society is a non-profit organization that is the result of the merger in March 1999 of the Jean-Michel Cousteau Institute and the Free Willy Keiko Foundation. By developing marine education programs, conducting research, and fostering a conservation ethic for our water planet, Ocean Futures will bring the following critical marine issues to the public’s attention: protecting and understanding marine mammals, protecting and improving water quality, protecting and preserving coral reefs, protecting and restoring coastal habitats, and promoting fisheries management. Ocean Futures is caretaker for Keiko, the whale star of the movie "Free Willy," who has been relocated back to his home-waters of Iceland and is presently being rehabilitated by Ocean Futures for his potential reintroduction back into the wild. It is also the educational and scientific coordinator for the Deep Ocean Odyssey, an action-adventure and digital media company that will explore the world’s oceans in manned submersibles to depths of up to 3,300 feet. Jean-Michel is both a co-founder and producer for Deep Ocean Odyssey.

Jean-Michel is also a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles Times and his articles appear in more than 60 papers world wide. He travels the globe lecturing to tens of thousands of students every year and addressing influential industry groups. He has been recognized by numerous organizations for his many efforts on behalf of the environment, and is one of the few individuals to be recognized as an "Environmental Hero" by the Clinton Administration.

Sylvia Earle
Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society

Dr. Earle is known around the world as a distinguished oceanographer, marine biologist, author, lecturer, and scientific consultant. She is currently explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society and director of Sustainable Seas Expeditions, a five-year program of the Society to explore and photodocument the National Marine Sanctuaries. Dr. Earle is also the "voice for the oceans" for SeaWeb, the co-founder and Director of Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc., Chairman of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution. Formerly Chief Scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, she presently serves on the board of Dresser Industries, Inc., Oryx Energy, Inc., and various non-profit organizations including the World Resources Institute, the Center for Marine Conservation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the World Wildlife Fund, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the Divers Alert Network.

Dr. Earle holds a B.S. from Florida State University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University and has eight honorary doctorates. She has received many awards, including the Order of the Golden Ark by the Prince of the Netherlands, the Department of the Interior’s Conservation Service Award, the Society of Women Geographer’s gold medal, the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association Medal, the Explorers Club Medal and Lowell Thomas Award, and the American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award.

An expert on marine algae, Dr. Earle’s research concerns the ecology of ocean ecosystems and the development of technology for access to and study of the deep sea. Having spent over 6,000 hours underwater diving (including several record-breaking descents), she is concerned about the deterioration she has observed in the ocean. She notes that while we spend billions of dollars on space exploration, budgets for ocean science and technology are relatively small—and declining. Because the sea plays a crucial role in humankind’s survival and well-being, she is an active advocate of marine exploration, research and protection.

The author of more than 100 scientific, technical and popular publications (including the 1995 book Sea Change, published by G.P. Putnam Sons), and the mother of three grown children, Sylvia Earle lives in Oakland, California and oceans everywhere.

William F. "Zeke" Grader
Executive Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations

Mr. Grader has served since 1976 as executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, a non-profit trade association representing working men and women in the west coast commercial fishing fleet, and has been the executive director since 1992 of the Institute for Fisheries Resources, a non-profit organization working for sustainable fisheries. Previously, he was general manager of Ocean Traders, a wholesale fishing, buying, and processing business in Sausalito, CA, from 1969 to 1976. From 1969-1975, he served as a U.S. Marine Corps reserve. In 1998, he was presented an "Environmental Hero Award" by the U.S. Department of Commerce. He received a B.A. in political science from Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, in 1970, and a J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Judith Tegger Kildow
Senior Research Scientist, University of Southern California

Dr. Kildow, a Senior Research Scientist at The Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California, is a policy analyst who, for the past thirty years, has taught and authored articles and books about coastal management and ocean policy. She was a professor of Ocean Policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 27 years; has served on numerous federal commissions, including the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere; and has been a member of many national and state committees, including The Marine Board and The Ocean Sciences Boards of the National Academy of Sciences. She was educated at Grinnell College and received her Ph.D. in International Relations and Science Policy from the Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Dr. Kildow is director of the National Ocean Economics Project, headquartered at USC.

John A. Knauss
Past President, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Dr. Knauss is currently a Professor and Dean Emeritus at the Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, and a Research Associate at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His original major area of interest was ocean circulation (observations of equatorial currents in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, the Gulf Stream, and the North Atlantic Western Boundary Undercurrent). More recent additional interests include marine policy (its history and law of the sea). From 1962 to 1989, he was professor and founding dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island. He then served as Administrator of NOAA from 1989 to 1993. He has authored 31 refereed papers, and 19 papers in book chapters and conference proceedings. His honors include election as Fellow of AGU, AAAS, and Marine Technology Society; AGU Ocean Sciences Award; National Sea Grant Award; and Albatross Award. Dr. Knauss holds a B.S. in Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1946), an M.S. in Physics from the University of Michigan (1949), and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (1959).

RADM Michael F. Lohr
Deputy Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy

Rear Admiral Lohr is a native of Washington, D.C. He graduated in 1974 with Honors from the University of Maryland with a B.A. degree. In 1977, he received a J.D. degree, with Honors, from the University of Maryland School of Law, and in 1984 he was awarded a Master of Laws degree, with Highest Honors, in International and Comparative Law from the George Washington University School of Law. Rear Admiral Lohr assumed command of Naval Legal Service Office Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, in July of 1996. In June 1997, he returned to the Pentagon assigned as Legal Counsel to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he served until June 2000, when he assumed the positions of Deputy Judge Advocate General and Commander, Naval Legal Service Command. His personal decorations include the defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, the Navy Commendation Medal with three gold stars, and the Navy Achievement Medal.

Jane Lubchenco
Past President, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Dr. Lubchenco is the Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology and Distinguished Professor of Zoology at Oregon State University. She has been a Pew Scholar in Conservation and the Environment and a MacArthur Fellow. She is a past president of AAAS and of the Ecological Society of America. She currently serves on the Council of the National Academy of Sciences and has recently been named President-Elect of the International Council for Science (ICSU). (She will be the first woman president of the seventy-year old organization). Dr. Lubchenco was born and raised in Denver. She holds earned degrees from Colorado College (B.A.), the University of Washington (M.S.), and Harvard University (Ph.D.; in marine ecology), and five honorary doctoral degrees. She was named Oregon Scientist of the Year in 1994 by the Oregon Academy of Sciences and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. Dr. Lubchenco has served on the National Science Board since 1996 and has been recently nominated by President Clinton for a second term on the Board. She chaired the Task Force which drafted the recently approved National Science Board report, "Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation."

William J. Merrell
Senior Fellow and President, H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment

Dr. Merrell is Senior Fellow and President of The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. He also holds appointments as Professor of Oceanography at Texas A&M University, Professor of Marine Sciences at Texas A&M University at Galveston and Rear Admiral (Ret.) in the United States Maritime Service. Prior to joining The Heinz Center, Dr. Merrell served as Vice Chancellor for Strategic Programs of The Texas A&M University System. He was President of Texas A&M University at Galveston from 1987 to 1992. Before that he was Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation where he was in charge of the Geosciences Directorate which is composed of the Divisions of Atmospheric Sciences, Earth Sciences, Ocean Sciences, and Polar Programs. Dr. Merrell’s professional interests include ocean science and policy, management of coastal resources, sustainability, multi-sector partnership for environmental problem solving, and the role of research in economic development. Merrell chairs or serves on a number of committees of the federal government and the National Research Council.

Dr. Merrell received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from Sam Houston State University and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Texas A&M University. He is married to June Bearden. They have two daughters, Bethany and Meredith. The Merrells’ interest in historic structures has lead to their ownership of historic landmarks, including the 1870 Merchants Mutual Insurance Building on Galveston’s Strand and their principal residence, the Commodore Chubb House, an 1853 Greek revival home located in Galveston’s East End District.

Elliott A. Norse
President, Marine Conservation Biology Institute

Dr. Norse, President of Marine Conservation Biology Institute, received his Ph.D. in marine ecology from the University of Southern California. For the last 20 years he has worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, the Ecological Society of America, The Wilderness Society and the Center for Marine Conservation before founding Marine Conservation Biology Institute in May 1996. Dr. Norse has written or edited more than 90 publications in the scientific, policy and popular literature. He was senior author of the 1980 Annual Report of the Council on Environmental Quality chapter that first defined the concept of conserving biological diversity. His work includes three groundbreaking books: Conserving Biological Diversity in Our National Forests (The Wilderness Society 1986), Ancient Forests of the Pacific Northwest (Island Press 1990), and Global Marine Biological Diversity: A Strategy for Building Conservation into Decision Making (Island Press 1993), considered the most comprehensive book on marine conservation ever written. He won the Evergreen Award in 1996 and the Pew Fellows Award in Conservation and the Environment in 1997.

Ellen J. Prager
Assistant Dean, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami

Dr. Prager has spent the last two decades immersed, often literally, in marine science research and education. She began her career in marine science as a safety diver and research assistant at an underwater habitat in St. Croix, USVI. Since that time she has participated in numerous research expeditions to places such as the Galapagos Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the deep waters of the Florida Reef tract. She obtained a B.A. from Wesleyan University, Connecticut, in environmental science concentrating in geology in 1984, a M.S. from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in 1987, and a Ph.D. from the Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University in 1992.

In 1997, Dr. Prager joined the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). During 1998, the International Year of the Ocean (YOTO), she lead the National Oceanographic Partnership Program’s Project YOTO Drifters, an internet-based endeavor to partner research, education and technology for the benefit of both scientists and educators. In 1998, during a week-long mission in the underwater habitat, Aquarius 2000, in the Florida Keys Dr. Prager was interviewed on NBC’s Today show, wrote dispatches online for MSNBC and worked with the National Geographic Society.

Dr. Prager left the USGS in 1998 to focus her efforts on bringing earth and ocean science to the public. She has hosted broadcasts for Project Oceanography, a program televised nationally within schools, written commentary for international journals, often gives talks at aquariums, national meetings and schools, and advises journalists on science topics. She has written articles for scientific journals, public-oriented magazines, and has recently published several books. SAND, a children’s book with the National Geographic Society was just released and is receiving outstanding reviews. Furious Earth: The Science and Nature of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis was published in December of 1999, and The Oceans was released in the spring of 2000, both by McGraw-Hill. Early comments on The Oceans have been superb—Jean-Michel Cousteau describes it as a must have for all those interested in the oceans. Dr. Prager is currently Assistant Dean at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Evan Richert
Director, Maine State Planning Office

Evan was appointed director of the Maine State Planning Office by Governor Angus S. King, Jr., in 1995. The 60-person State Planning Office resides in the Executive Department. It serves as a policy and planning arm of state government in the areas of natural resources, community planning, economy, energy, and governmental affairs. The Office houses a number of programs related to its mission, including the Land and Water Resources Council, the Land for Maine’s Future, the Maine Coastal Program, the Comprehensive Planning and Investment Program, the Maine Commission on Community Service, and several municipal assistance programs.

Previously, Evan was president and co-owner of Market Decisions, Inc., (1981-1995), a market research and community planning company based in South Portland, Maine. From 1977 to 1981, he was planning director for the City of South Portland. Evan has a Master of Regional Planning from Syracuse University. He is an adjunct professor in the Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine and has been a visiting lecturer in Bowdoin College’s environmental affairs program.

VADM Roger T. Rufe, Jr.
President, Center for Marine Conservation

VADM Roger T. Rufe retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1999 and became the president of CMC on November 18, 1999. He held a distinguished 30-year career with the United States Coast Guard. From 1997 until his retirement in September 1999, Vice Admiral Rufe was Commander of the Atlantic Area, Fifth Coast Guard Division and Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic, responsible for two-thirds of the agency’s operations. Before assuming command of the Atlantic Area, Vice Admiral Rufe served as Commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, responsible for all Coast Guard operations from the Rocky Mountains to Asia.

The Center for Marine Conservation is the largest national nonprofit organization committed solely to protecting ocean environments and conserving the global abundance and diversity of marine life through science-based advocacy, research, and public education, as well as informed citizen participation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CMC has regional offices in California, Florida, and Virginia, and field offices in Alaska, Maine, California, and the Florida Keys.

Louis E. "Sandy" Sage
Executive Director, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

Dr. Sage received his training in oceanography and spent 15 years collaborating to develop and implement the Chesapeake Bay Program. In that capacity, he was involved in bridging the scientific community with the resource managers and interested public to introduce pertinent scientific information into public policy. An outcome of this role was to develop a nutrient control strategy that was initially accepted in the Chesapeake Bay Program and subsequently introduced in all of the nation’s estuaries and beyond. Most recently he initiated the development of a policy for restoring streamside buffer zones to counter land-based runoff and to promote more biologically productive streams. This policy, implemented in 1997, is now being pursued in most states throughout the United States. Following that interest, he served on the Board of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, serving a term as Board Chair. Presently, Dr. Sage is the Executive Director of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Bigelow has long enjoyed national and international recognition for its work in the productivity of the oceans and for a unique team approach to its research.

Viktor Sebek
Executive Director, Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS)

Dr. Sebek has worked since 1973 as the Executive Director of the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS). His duties include lecturing, carrying out legal research, and representing ACOPS at various diplomatic and intergovernmental conferences. He has also developed ACOPS’ global and regional programs in South East Asia, the Russian Federation, East and West Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Dr. Sebek has also acted as a consultant to the Commission of the European Union, the governments of Sweden, the United Kingdom and France, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations Development Program, and the World Bank. He holds a LLB from the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade (first class honors, 1968), a LLM at the London School of Economics (international and European Law, 1969), and a Ph.D. at the London School of Economics (comparative East European Law of the Sea, 1974).

Richard W. Spinrad
Technical Director, Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy

Dr. Spinrad joined the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy as Technical Director in March 1999. As the Technical Director he serves as the senior civilian technical advisor to the Navy’s meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) organization, and ensures that the technical elements of naval oceanography programs are adequate, realistic and consistent with established policy. He is also the Oceanographer’s principal advisor on scientific and technical issues, and serves as a key liaison to the military and civilian METOC communities. Dr. Spinrad had previously served as Executive Director for Research and Education at the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE). At CORE, which Dr. Spinrad joined in December of 1994, he co-authored the Oceans 2000 report with ADM James D. Watkins and served as the Director of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program Office. He also developed the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, an oceanography-based academic competition for high school students throughout the United States.

Dr. Spinrad, a native New Yorker, is an alumnus of the Johns Hopkins University and performed his graduate studies at Oregon State University, where he received an M.S. in physical oceanography and a Ph.D. in marine geology. From 1982 to 1985 he worked as a research scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences performing oceanographic research sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Vikki N. Spruill
Executive Director, SeaWeb

As executive director of SeaWeb, Ms. Spruill is responsible for the creation and implementation of a multi-year, multi-media communications strategy designed to influence public opinion about the need to conserve the ocean. She was recruited by the Environment Group of The Pew Charitable Trusts to direct the Initiative in March of 1995 and comes, most recently, from Ruder Finn, one of the largest independently held public relations firms in the world, where she was a Senior Vice President in the Washington, DC, office. There, she was responsible for client management and new business development. Her varied client background included work for corporate, higher education, non-profit, cultural, and professional services institutions, organizations and companies. Ms. Spruill is a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans and the University of West Florida with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Communications.

Robert H. Wayland III
Director, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Mr. Wayland has been the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Wetlands Oceans and Watersheds since April 1991. His Office provides financial, policy and technical support to EPA Regions and States in implementing programs to assess and characterize water resources, curb nonpoint source pollution, protect and restore wetlands, estuaries and coastal waters, and regulate dredging. Mr. Wayland has been a strong advocate of watershed management as a preferred paradigm for protecting and restoring water resources; the Total Maximum Daily Load provisions of the Clean Water Act are a key technical foundation for this approach. He played key roles in developing the 1998 Clean Water Action Plan and the Adminstration’s1993 Wetlands Plan. Mr. Wayland is a graduate of the George Washington University (B.A. 1972, International Business). He is a recipient of the Agency’s Gold Medal for Exceptional Service and was awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Senior Executive in 1998. He enjoys sailing and snorkeling.

Mary Beth West
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, Department of State

Ambassador West is currently the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Department of State. In October 1998 she received Senate confirmation for the rank of Ambassador during her tenure. Ambassador West received her J.D. from Stanford Law School (1972) and a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Michigan (1966). She began her career at the State Department in 1973 as an attorney adviser in the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Oceans and Fisheries Affairs, where she was responsible for negotiation of fisheries agreements and work on the fisheries and navigation aspects of the Law of the Sea Treaty. In 1978, Ambassador West joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she served as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel, Special Assistant to the Administrator, and Acting Deputy General Counsel and Acting General Counsel. At NOAA, Ambassador West was involved in the negotiation of international fisheries, fisheries trade, and scientific cooperation agreements and handled other oceans-related issues.

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