Charlie’s life and career reflect a life-long passion for the ocean’s wonders and for safeguarding its legacy for future generations. He studied marine biology, ecology and evolution in college and grad school and earned a BA from UC Santa Barbara and a PhD from the Johns Hopkins University. His field research in the Caribbean included over 2,000 scuba dives, 4,000 hours spent underwater, 1000’ submersible dives, and a week-long saturation dive in an underwater research habitat in St. Croix.
After grad school, Charlie ran Lehigh University’s Stone Harbor Marine Lab in New Jersey. Seeking to make a more direct impact on ocean conservation, he joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1991 and never looked back. At NOAA, he led a variety of science, education and conservation policy programs for the Natl. Marine Sanctuaries and Natl. Estuarine Research Reserves System, and later helped shape important national initiatives on the US national ocean policy, coral reef conservation, and marine protected areas like our local Monterey Bay Sanctuary and Elkhorn Slough Reserve.
In 2000, Charlie worked with the White House to found NOAA’s Natl. Marine Protected Areas Center, where he led its Monterey office as Senior Scientist until his retirement in 2020. An elected Fellow of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Charlie has been awarded four federal Bronze medals (3 NOAA/1 EPA), for his work on ecosystem conservation – the agencies’ highest civilian award.
Growing up in a military family, Charlie lived in many places in the US and abroad: some interesting, some not so much. His family has lived in the same Carmel Views house for over 50 years. Charlie bought his parents’ house in 2000 after transferring his NOAA job to Monterey. He and his wife, Liz, raised two sons here, as they progressed through CUSD from Carmello to Carmel High, learning, swimming, playing water polo, and making music and mischief.
Charlie has volunteered in Carmel schools and has served several terms on the Carmel Views Community Association (HOA). He currently serves as the Chair of Monterey County’s CSA-47 Advisory Committee, advising the county on infrastructure and public safety issues. Charlie enjoys sailing, swimming at CVAC, working outside, and experiencing nature, ideally underwater. By joining forces with CVA, Charlie hopes to bring an ecosystem conservation perspective to their invaluable work to preserve our treasured way of life.
