Meet Sarah

I've loved the ocean for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Northern California, I spent countless hours exploring the coast, slurping Tomales Bay oysters, and crabbing with my dad to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table in Dillon Beach. Those early experiences sparked a curiosity about the ocean, and a deep appreciation for the people and communities connected to it, that has guided my life ever since.

I pursued that passion academically, eventually earning a PhD in marine microbiology at Oregon State University. My research explored microbial life under low oxygen conditions in marine ecosystems. It was a vivid lesson in scale. Tiny organisms, invisible to the naked eye, drive processes that shape the entire ocean and global carbon cycle. That insight still guides me today. Small actions and meaningful connections, whether in science, policy, or community engagement, can ripple outward to create lasting change.

Today, through my consulting practice, I help nonprofits, government agencies, and the seafood industry bridge science, policy, and people. I develop strategic communications, educational programs, stakeholder engagement initiatives, and multimedia storytelling that help organizations tackle complex coastal and environmental challenges with practical, collaborative solutions.

My connection to this work is personal, too. My family has deep roots throughout the food system, from farming and ranching to food distribution, and I am also the wife of a restaurateur. Those experiences have given me a firsthand appreciation for the people who grow, harvest, transport, and serve our food, and the realities they navigate every day. They have shaped my belief that the best solutions are the ones that work in the real world.

My work is guided by the belief that curiosity, care, and collaboration can transform small actions into meaningful change for our coasts, our communities, and our world.