Mary Collins is the Coastal Resilience Specialist for the National Sea Grant Office and a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow.

Previously, Mary was an International Conservation Associate at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, where she coordinated advancement in science, policy, and practice of ecosystem-based and cross-border conservation efforts concerning ecological corridors and marine protected areas. Mary also has experience in private sector nature-based solutions consulting as a Conservation Coordinator with the Wildlife Habitat Council and in climate policy and diplomacy as a Climate Policy Intern at the Council on Foreign Relations. Each of Mary’s experiences is rooted in a marine biology and climate science background gained as a Research Assistant at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Mary holds a Master’s degree in Global Conservation Leadership from Colorado State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Art from The University of Virginia. Mary is a member of the  International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas ( WCPA), its Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG), and its Marine Connectivity Working Group (MCWG).

Mary is an artist and outdoors enthusiast, and in her free time can be found on a nearby trail or in a museum. 

Email: mary.collins@noaa.gov