Elliott A. Norse, Ph.D.

Research

Elliott Norse is the retired founder and chief scientist of the Marine Conservation Institute in Washington state. Norse’s Pew fellowship supported national and international outreach, education, and policy development for marine stewardship and initiatives that advance the field of marine conservation biology. Norse and his colleagues coordinated and launched the “Troubled Waters: A Call for Action” statement in January 1998, which was signed by more than 1,600 scientists from around the world. Norse has continued this momentum for public awareness by generating numerous op-eds and articles in the popular press. As a result of the workshops and research for briefings and policy development, he and his colleagues have produced many scientific papers, often on controversial topics that others may try to avoid. The Conservation Biology article that Norse co-authored with 1998 Pew fellow Les Watling, “Disturbance of the Seabed by Mobile Fishing Gear: A Comparison to Forest Clear-Cutting,” received significant coverage following a December 1998 press conference and has influenced political action on the issue.

To learn more about Norse, visit his bio online: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/resshow/perry/bios/norseelliott.htm.