Ben Enticknap
Pacific Project Manager
Portland, OR, USA
When I was sixteen I started spending my summers working on family operated commercial fishing boats trolling for salmon and longlining halibut in the outside waters of Southeast Alaska. This was a great and formative experience for me. I learned about the ocean by being on it, observing its vastness and asking questions about the diversity of marine life encountered at sea. I learned to have a healthy respect for the ocean and the life it sustains.
Working on the ocean sparked a real interest in marine science. I studied biology at the University of Oregon, including taking courses at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in the coastal town of Charleston. There, marine biology and ecology captured my attention because I was able to relate the research to my experiences at sea. I find the knowledge to be gained from studying the ocean to be infinite and know that each day, there is something new to be learned.
I strongly believe that preserving and restoring the health of our oceans is vital for the wellbeing of our culture, our nation and our planet. In 2001, I made a conscious shift from doing biological research to working on marine conservation issues in Alaska. Now, with Oceana, I’m working on protecting the biodiversity and productivity of our ocean ecosystems from Baja to the Bering Sea. It’s an exciting time for marine conservation, with a lot at stake, and we have a great team working hard on common goals.
