Whitley Saumweber

Dr. Whitley Saumweber is senior associate of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has worked extensively across the federal government, academia, and private sector developing practical approaches for integrating marine science with pressing policy needs. He has been a visiting fellow with Stanford University’s Center for Ocean Solutions and served as President Obama’s associate director for Ocean and Coastal Policy in the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In this latter capacity, he led the development and implementation of President Obama’s agenda for marine conservation and stewardship on behalf of the White House. This included leading teams responsible for the creation of multiple marine reserves of global significance; development of the first U.S. seafood traceability program to combat illegal fishing; directing our National Ocean and Arctic policies; and oversight of national sustainable fisheries policy. Previously, Dr. Saumweber has served as a senior adviser to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administrator, worked as an adviser to the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), overseen a national research and monitoring program at the NOAA, and worked as an ocean scientist and educator. Dr. Saumweber holds a Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the University of Rhode Island.
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Whitley Saumweber: Finding Nemo’s Future: Conflicts over Ocean Resources
Transcript by Whitley Saumweber — June 12, 2025
Ocean Security and Human Rights Forum
Event — June 5, 2025
Streamlining Government Coordination for a More Rights Based Approach to Supply Chain Transparency
Event — March 25, 2025
Streamlining Government Coordination for Rights-Conscious Supply Chains
Report by Noor Hamadeh, Jacqueline Lewis, and Whitley Saumweber — March 24, 2025
Event Summary: Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability Forum
Blog Post by Mariana Aziz, Jenny Barker, Alexa Cole, and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jennifer Kane, Sara Lewis, Tony Long, Farid Maruf, Jovice Mkuchu, Kate O'Rourke, Leo Pradela, Whitley Saumweber, Ian Urbina, Laura Van Voorhees — September 27, 2023
Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability Forum- Taking Stock and Next Steps
Event — September 15, 2023
Ocean Security Forum 2023
Event — January 18, 2023
Ocean Security Forum 2021
Event — December 16, 2021
Oceans of Opportunity: Southeast Asia’s Shared Maritime Challenges, Session Three
Event — June 21, 2021
Oceans of Opportunity: Southeast Asia’s Shared Maritime Challenges, Session Two
Event — June 14, 2021