People & Partner Type: Oceana Staff

I first began to be aware of the growing crisis facing our oceans as an undergraduate student in Canada.  At the time, alarming signs were appearing that warned of the considerable impacts humans were having on our seas: the FAO had just released its first report on the state of world fisheries and aquaculture, showing … Read more

Maria Perez is Oceana’s Development Director in Europe. She has been working in Project Management and Fundraising in different NGOs for over ten years in countries like Japan, Italy and Spain. But oceans’ related work has never been Maria’s focus until Oceana—and it truly makes sense. She was born by the sea, and has always … Read more

Tess serves as a Senior Research Manager, enthusiastically pursuing her interests in fisheries science, food and nutrition security, and monitoring and evaluation, as part of Oceana’s Science & Strategy Team. Throughout her 5+ year tenure at Oceana, Tess has supported and visited all of Oceana’s international offices, worked on several cross-cutting monitoring and evaluation projects, … Read more

Like any child, when Jorge was little he loved to spend time playing in the countryside, surrounded by nature. He had the opportunity to spend a large part of his childhood surrounded by pine forests, oaks, oak groves and fields of Castile and Leon, so that, little by little, his interest in the environment and … Read more

Leslie joined Oceana in July 2014 and supports the Legal Department as a Corporate Governance and Compliance Manager. A New Orleans native with sixteen years of experience working in Washington DC law firms, Leslie’s previous work primarily focused on regulatory and litigation practice areas. Leslie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Certificate of … Read more

Lara Levison brings her extensive knowledge of policy-making processes, gained through experience in the non-profit and governmental sectors, to Oceana. As a policy advisor for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Levison was deeply involved in the development of major energy and environmental legislation. Joining her team in 2001, Levison’s experience spanned Rep. Pelosi’s positions as Appropriations Committee … Read more

From an early age I have enjoyed exploring the marine environment of the Dutch coast; growing up by the North Sea allowed me to be in close contact with sea creatures, like plaice, common shrimp and jelly fish. Marine life continues to fascinate me, as beautifully described by Jacques Cousteau: “The sea, once it casts … Read more

Brianne is the Pacific GIS Analyst in Oceana’s Juneau, Alaska office. Her GIS, mapping, and analytical expertise support Oceana’s campaigns from the Arctic to the California Current. Her work has helped win victories such as stopping offshore drilling in the Arctic or protecting important areas in the Bering Strait. She has also worked extensively on … Read more

Since childhood, I have been fascinated by the marine world. From the magic of vibrant coral reefs to the mysterious waters of the ocean deep, I am awed by the ocean’s complex ecosystems and the diverse creatures that compose them. As more than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, it is a … Read more