About Us

Tara Wilson

Vice President

Rose Mann is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at the Adrienne Arsht – Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council.

She joined the Council in 2019 from the Nature Conservancy where she served as a Director of the Global Oceans Program leading the philanthropic strategy for a $100 million campaign for ocean protection and governance and fisheries conservation.

Previously, she served as the Assistant Dean of Advancement for the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.

Rose has over 25 years of experience in ocean conservation and climate change fundraising and has raised more than $300 million during her career dedicating her life to the protection of the planet.

Rosemary Mann

Board

Rose Mann is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at the Adrienne Arsht – Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council.

She joined the Council in 2019 from the Nature Conservancy where she served as a Director of the Global Oceans Program leading the philanthropic strategy for a $100 million campaign for ocean protection and governance and fisheries conservation.

Previously, she served as the Assistant Dean of Advancement for the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.

Rose has over 25 years of experience in ocean conservation and climate change fundraising and has raised more than $300 million during her career dedicating her life to the protection of the planet.

Kris Wiatr

Board

Rose Mann is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at the Adrienne Arsht – Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center at the Atlantic Council.

She joined the Council in 2019 from the Nature Conservancy where she served as a Director of the Global Oceans Program leading the philanthropic strategy for a $100 million campaign for ocean protection and governance and fisheries conservation.

Previously, she served as the Assistant Dean of Advancement for the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.

Rose has over 25 years of experience in ocean conservation and climate change fundraising and has raised more than $300 million during her career dedicating her life to the protection of the planet.

Big 5 Core Conservation Issues

Sharks

Up to 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year – this is nearly double what studies show is sustainable (enough to maintain the species population). Sharks are apex predators, meaning they regulate the populations of species below them in the food chain. Massive depletion of sharks has cascading effects on the ocean’s ecosystem. Sharks take decades to mature and produce few young. Sharks have been on Earth through 4 mass extinctions – about 450 million years. Yet, irresponsible fishing practices, slow re-population rate, and habitat loss have resulted in 167 species of sharks, 1/3 of all shark species, being at risk of extinction.

Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles have played a critical role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems for the last 110 million years. It is estimated that only 1 out of every 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings will survive to maturity. Although hatchlings must escape natural predators like birds and fish, their slim survival rates are due in large part, to human impact such as habitat destruction, poor fishing practices, illegal poaching, artificial lighting along nesting beaches, marine debris, and climate change. Six (6) of the Seven (7) species of sea turtles on the planet are classified as endangered or threatened.

Marine Mammals

As some of the top predators in the ocean, marine mammals are vital to the health and balance of the ocean’s ecosystems. Marine mammals are facing an array of threats from human activities, including bycatch in fishing gear, collision with vessels, depletion of prey resources, climate change, hunting, pollution, disease, and habitat degradation and loss. There are marine mammals currently suffering in the wild and in captivity. The capturing of marine mammals is currently still legal in the United States even under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. There are thousands of marine mammals currently in captivity worldwide including across the US such as dolphins, orcas, beluga whales, sea lions, otters, etc.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs around the world are declining and some scientists are now worried about coral eventually ceasing to exist. Coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine species (tens of thousands of species) despite only occupying 1% of the ocean floor. Reefs also provide $355 million/year in flood and storm protection for coastal communities. Pollution, overfishing, bleaching due to increasing water temperature & other factors, the introduction of invasive species, and pesticide & fertilizer runoff from lawns & agriculture are threatening the survival of these vital ecosystems. Things you can do to protect coral reefs include: not anchoring your boat on a reef, refraining from touching coral when diving, wearing reef-friendly mineral sunscreen (chemical sunscreen contributes to coral bleaching!), and partaking in any other sustainable practices that help combat climate change.

Marine Habitats

It is estimated that 30-35% of vital marine habitats have already been destroyed largely due to human activity. Activities that destroy marine habitats include mining, drilling, pollution, coastal development, boating activity, chemical spills, oil spills, overfishing, surface runoff, and any activities that produce carbon emissions. Twenty-Six (26) billion pounds of plastic are dumped into the ocean every single year and by the year 2050 scientists believe plastic will outweigh the amount of fish in the ocean. As marine habitats are destroyed the millions of species living in the ocean become increasingly threatened as does the ocean’s ability to regulate the global climate, therefore it threatens human life. Each year, the average American ingests more than 70,000 microplastics through their drinking water supply and eats about a debit card’s worth of plastic per week. There is even evidence that microplastics are present in the human heart.