Lisa Wooninck began as acting superintendent of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in September 2018. Lisa has a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of California Santa Barbara. Her interest in policy and marine resource management stems from her time as a 2000 Knauss Sea Grant Fellow in former Congressman Sam Farr’s office. She began her NOAA career as a research fishery biologist at NOAA Fisheries headquarters and Santa Cruz lab. Her passion for using science to inform policy however was awakened and she jumped at the opportunity to join the sanctuary team in 2008. She initially worked at Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as a policy analyst, and then joined the West Coast Regional team in 2010 as the policy coordinator for the five sanctuaries on the west coast.
Lisa has experience in policy and planning. She has also worked to coordinate conservation and user groups, and state and federal partners to develop integrated ecosystem-based management systems, and ecologically and economically sustainable practices. She has represented sanctuary interests to fishery managers and educated them on the common goals shared by sanctuaries and fisheries management. She has also led an Office of National Marine Sanctuaries team to highlight the world-class recreational activities, such as whale watching and sport fishing, offered by thriving ecosystems of national marine sanctuaries.
Lisa is guided by “malama,” a Hawaiian concept that expresses care, respect and stewardship for the environment and humans, and our obligation to care for both. Lisa also believes strongly in team work and looks forward to working with the GRNMS team, their partners and friends.
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