Kristine Cherry

Kristine Cherry joined the Office of Aquaculture in January 2021 to lead its regulatory and policy activities, coordinating across the NOAA Aquaculture Program and with state, federal, and international partners on harmonizing the permitting environment for sustainable aquaculture development. In this role, she oversees the identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas, coordinated NEPA review of aquaculture projects in federal waters, and other efforts to improve the transparency and predictability of aquaculture permitting.

Ms. Cherry has held several roles in ocean and coastal policy, both within and outside of NOAA, since becoming a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in 2006. Most recently, Ms. Cherry was the Senior Advisor for Operations at NOAA Fisheries where she focused on supporting the agency’s response to COVID-19 and a broad portfolio of operational issues, including aquaculture and seafood strategy.

Ms. Cherry holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in marine biology from Texas A&M University and the College of Charleston.