Donald Boesch

Dr. Don Boesch is a biological oceanographer who has spent much of his career leading academic research centers while also continuing to teach, conduct research and synthesize scientific knowledge to improve environmental management. Based on his childhood experiences in the bayous and wetlands of coastal Louisiana, he made up his mind in the 10th grade that he would become a marine scientist. He received a B.A. in biology from Tulane University and a Ph.D. in oceanography from the College of William and Mary. Since 1990 he has been a Professor in and President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and since 2008 also has served as Vice Chancellor for Environmental Sustainability of the University System of Maryland. Don has conducted research on coastal and continental shelf ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, eastern Australia and the East China Sea. Presently, his research focuses on the use of science in ecosystem-based management and on assessments of the impacts of global climate change. Don is a former President of the Estuarine Research Federation. He has served on numerous federal agency and regional advisory boards and on several standing boards and committees of the National Research Council (NRC). He is presently a member of the NRC’s Ocean Studies Board and the National Academies Committee on America’s Climate Choices. Don was the only scientist to s erve as an official advisor to both the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. He previously served as a COMPASS Scientific Advisor and is also a trustee of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Town Creek Foundation.