Joy Merino

Chief of Staff for Science Planning and Operations (Acting)

Joy Merino is completing a detail as the acting Chief of Staff for Science Planning and Operations at NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center.

Joy supports fisheries science through Operations, Management, and Administration while the agency is without aid for a Lafayette, Louisiana-based science lab. However, by training, she is a coastal ecologist with wetland restoration, management, and submersed aquatic vegetation research experience. Her specialty has been critical analysis of processes, e.g. philosophical, social, or environmental.

Her interest in long-term planning for ecosystems has shifted to interest in organizational structure and policy support. Joy uniquely enjoys a variety of subjects and work, as indicated by her duties with NOAA, publications and undergraduate degree in anthropology and philosophy.

During 20 years teamed with the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Southeast Regional Office, and the Restoration Center, duties met Joy's desire for collaborative environmental policy work for which she holds a Team Achievement award from the U.S. Army Corp and State of Louisiana. She also holds a Coastal America Partnership award from the White House and Department of Commerce Bronze Metal for superior Federal service. The habitat planning was a cooperative effort of the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where she documented NEPA compliance, reviewed project performance, and was co-located at New Orleans along the Mississippi River for large-scale coastwide preservation planning.

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