About

During our long road trip to the university where my daughter would soon begin her first year, I was recounting that same period of my life and the fact that my parents had really wanted me to be a doctor….an M.D., that is. I hated to disappoint them, but I tried to explain that I wanted to pursue my true passion, marine biology.They were troubled that I’d never be able to make a “real” career out of this passing fancy, but 30 years later, I suppose I have. My daughter chimed in, “But you are a doctor. You’re an ocean doctor!” Funny, but I had never thought of it that way. Yet I have spent much of my career studying and diagnosing what ails the oceans and advocating policies to heal them. So I looked at her and said, “I like that. I think I might use that some day.” So, here it is — please accept my warmest welcome to OceanDoctor’s blog, dedicated to the wonder of the oceans, being true to your dreams, and, of course, my daughter.

Dr. David E. Guggenheim is president of 1planet1ocean as well as a consultant in conservation policy and science based in Washington, DC, providing services to clients in the nonprofit sector, governmental agencies, and private industry, including leading research and conservation efforts in Cuba, implementing the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission in coastal states, and advancing next-generation sustainable aquaculture practices as an alternative to fishing’s ongoing depletion of wild fish stocks and disruption of ocean ecosystems. Previously, he was vice president for conservation policy at The Ocean Conservancy. In addition, he led cooperative research and conservation programs in Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Guggenheim draws from nearly 25 years of multidisciplinary experience in environmental research, policy analysis, advocacy and environmental education. Before joining The Ocean Conservancy, Guggenheim served as President & CEO of The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and co-chair of the Everglades Coalition. Prior to that he was an environmental consultant in Washington, DC where he conducted research on global warming. He directed an international team of researchers in a study of Siberian forests. For 10 years, Guggenheim was vice president of EcoAnalysis, Inc. in California, where he directed numerous environmental projects. He also served as President of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park. Guggenheim holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University in Virginia. He holds Masters degrees in Population/Aquatic Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also received a Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies. Guggenheim is a member of the Advisory Council of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where he also serves as Cuba Programs Manager.