The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Region is pleased to announce Heather Parker as chief of its Environmental Studies Program. With over 20 years of expertise in marine science, oil spill response, and multi-agency coordination, Parker brings a wealth of experience to BOEM’s mission to responsibly manage Alaska’s OCS resources.
BOEM is one of Alaska’s largest funders of marine research, with 20-30 studies ongoing at any given time in the Alaska Region. Since BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program was established in 1973, more than $450 million has been invested to better understand and protect Alaska’s important marine ecosystems.
"I am thrilled to join BOEM and to contribute to the Environmental Studies Program,” Parker said. “Alaska’s environment is incredibly diverse and challenging, and I look forward to advancing science and partnerships that support responsible resource management on the OCS.”
“We’re excited to have Heather Parker stepping into this role,” said Alaska OCS Region Director Givey Kochanowski. “Heather brings a wealth of hands-on experience and a real passion for Alaska’s marine environment. Her background in science, oil spill response, and working with various agencies and stakeholders will help us continue to learn about and protect Alaska’s unique offshore areas.”
Parker’s marine career began with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) where she served as both a deck and science officer on NOAA vessels, worked as a NOAA diver for the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and later as a physical oceanographer managing data for the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Her career in oil spill response took her to NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and later as NOAA’s Scientific Support Coordinator for the California, Nevada, and Arizona region. She also coordinated regional oil spill preparedness with the U.S. Coast Guard’s 13th District and recently served as the on-scene coordinator and regional oil spill program manager for Navy Region Northwest.
Parker has a bachelor’s degree in science, ecology, and evolutionary biology from the University of Connecticut, and a master's degree in physical oceanography/fisheries oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
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The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.