Marina Cucuzza

Marina grew up in Malden, Massachusetts and moved to Maine in 2012 to attend College of the Atlantic where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology with a concentration in Marine Sciences. After completing a Batten Research Fellowship in marine mammal and sea turtle conservation with the Virginia Aquarium, she returned to Maine to earn a dual master’s degree in Marine Biology and Marine Policy from the School of Marine Sciences at the University of Maine. 

Her interdisciplinary thesis work focused on the resilience and management of Maine’s fishing communities in the face of ecological and socioeconomic changes. Her research evaluating Maine’s municipal comprehensive plans for social ecological resilience indicators was catalyzed by her involvement in developing the town of Georgetown’s Marine Resources section of their comprehensive plan (see Cucuzza et al. 2019). 

After graduating from UMaine, Marina joined the Cooperative Research Branch at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center as a fisheries biologist.In 2021, Marina will begin a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship as a Climate and Fisheries Specialist. She will be placed with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in the Office of Science and Technology & Climate Program Offices.