George Leonard

As the Chief Scientist at Ocean Conservancy, George provides strategic leadership on science and policy across our organization. Trained as a marine ecologist, George has 20 years of experience in ocean policy and advocacy, market-based solutions to environmental challenges and marine research. He has been instrumental in leading some of the most cutting-edge and comprehensive research on trash in the marine ecosystem, which has led to Ocean Conservancy’s work on Trash Free Seas.

Before joining Ocean Conservancy, George developed the scientific foundation for the nascent sustainable seafood movement at Monterey Bay Aquarium by working closely with major seafood buyers to improve their seafood procurement practices. He helped launch the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS), an innovative approach to communicating emerging marine conservation science to policymakers, NGOs and resource managers.