January 31, 2013 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
Doug Lipton, PhD, has been tapped to fill the newly created position of Senior Research Economist at NOAA Fisheries. He will start on June 3, 2013. In this new role, Dr. Lipton will provide leadership and strategic direction to the agency’s economics and social science research program. Dr. Lipton’s deep experience in fisheries economics will be invaluable as NOAA Fisheries works to support the economic vitality of the nation’s coastal communities and the productivity of our ocean resources.
“Doug Lipton is a leader in bringing innovative economic thinking to bear on tough issues in managing marine resources and maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems,” said Dr. Richard Merrick, NOAA Fisheries Chief Science Advisor. “Supporting the well-being of our coastal communities is one of this agency’s priority missions. I am very pleased that Doug, as our Senior Research Economist, will help point the way forward as we work to insure that coastal communities benefit from a healthy ocean, today and into the future.”
Currently, Dr. Lipton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland. Much of his research has focused on valuing marine resources such as fish, shellfish, and recreation, and on understanding how water quality affects the value of those resources. In addition, he has been instrumental in developing innovative policies that use economic incentives to drive environmental improvements. For example, he has recently worked on creating market-based programs to fund oyster reef restoration in order to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
In addition to his duties as a researcher and professor, Dr. Lipton has been Program Leader for the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program for the past 20 years. This program, which is partly funded by NOAA, connects experts in aquaculture, seafood, water quality, and marine and watershed science with the government agencies, citizens groups, and businesses that stand to benefit from their expertise. Among other things, the Sea Grant Extension Program assists coastal communities in contributing to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The program has also helped the crab industry use technology to improve seafood quality control.
“I am excited and honored to be appointed NOAA’s first Senior Research Economist,” said Dr. Lipton, who also noted that economics and social science research are fundamental to maintaining a vital economy and a healthy ecosystem.
Read the full story on the NOAA website