Heather Lahr

Bio

Heather is a Project Manager for emLab and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). She currently manages a suite of projects focused on ocean conservation and sustainable aquaculture, and enjoys fostering connections across groups and disciplines. In previous positions she has connected fishermen to new viable markets and community members to local sustainable seafood. She has worked in rural Africa connecting farmers to aquaculture and Peace Corps volunteers to their communities.  

Heather received her master’s degree in coastal marine resource management from UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Management where she focused on spatial planning with a bio-economic analysis of offshore shrimp aquaculture in Mexico. While in school she was honored to receive the Doris Duke Conservation Fellowship and the Switzer Fellowship. During this time she also interned with Oceana, helping to create their seafood fraud report and assisting on the Deep Water Horizon oil spill research. Heather has worked in education teaching marine biology to elementary school children, for museums and aquariums in animal husbandry and program management, in the government doing sea turtle restoration, and in the private sector leading corporate social responsibility. Each position has helped her build a strong foundation to work with a diverse audience and build cross-sector support for her projects. Outside of project management Heather can be found enjoying the local hills and beaches, hiking, biking or swimming, or in her kitchen with her latest fermentation project.