Samantha Cook

Samantha (Sam) Cook completed her master’s degree in natural resources from Humboldt State University in December 2021, with a concentration in environmental science and management. Sam’s thesis research focused on assessing commercial fishing community well-being in relation to the implementation and long-term management of the statewide California marine protected area (MPA) network through the development of a novel, mixed-methods framework. She is excited to bring her understanding of the social dynamics of MPAs to the NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) team as the 2022 California Sea Grant State Fellow.

Sam will be supporting public education and outreach efforts; Sanctuary Advisory Council operations; the management plan revision process; and improvement of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) across CINMS programs and activities.