ORONO, Maine - Maine Sea Grant is pleased to announce the appointment of Beth Bisson of Orono as education coordinator for the program. She will coordinate all education activities for the Maine Sea Grant College Program, including educational programs provided by the Marine Extension Team (MET), and be the liaison to educational organizations in the state, region, and nation.
Beth received a bachelor's degree in visual arts from Brown University in 1998. She completed a master's degree in environmental management with a concentration in water science, policy, and management at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in December 2004. Her graduate research assessed contaminant levels and potential health impacts of Quinnipiac River sediments. While at Yale, she also worked as a research assistant in the environmental chemistry department and the Center for Coastal and Watershed Systems.
Before graduate school, Beth Bisson taught coastal ecology and watershed science to middle school students at The Environmental Schools in Ferry Beach, Maine; worked on California water quality policy for The Ocean Conservancy in San Francisco, CA; and coordinated urban creek restoration and invasive species management projects for high school students as part of a career development and service program with the Student Conservation Association's Urban Youth Corps in Oakland, CA.
Beth came to Maine from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Silver Spring , MD , where she worked as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the Estuarine Reserves Division. While at NOAA, she developed a strategy for strengthening communication between federal agencies and the states regarding research, education, and stewardship on the 26 National Estuarine Research Reserves.
As part of her work with Maine Sea Grant, Beth will incorporate the University of Maine 's expertise in marine research into teacher education programs. "Maine's rich coastal heritage and its culturally and economically important marine ecosystems make marine education an essential part of every Mainer's learning experience. I am happy to be back in New England, and I am delighted to have this opportunity to work with the Maine Sea Grant staff and their many partners," says Beth.