Jim McKenna, an associate professor of marine biology at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, is part-time coordinator for Maine Sea Grant’s research program. His responsibilities include supervising the biennial requests for proposals for NOAA Sea Grant research funds, acting as a liaison between researchers and Maine Sea Grant’s administration, education, and outreach teams, including the Marine Extension Team, and helping ensure the relevance and significance of Sea Grant research. With a degree in biochemistry from Boston College and a doctorate in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, Jim has taught oceanography at Williams College and Wesleyan University, and served as research coordinator at the Schoodic Education and Research Center at Acadia National Park from 2005 to 2008. McKenna continues his relationship with the National Park Service through research projects to develop and implement estuarine and marine wetland monitoring protocols for parks in the Northeastern US. His research interests include conservation ecology of estuarine and coastal resources, and the application of science to policy and decision-making processes.