Organization
Alaska Ocean Observing System
Emailrosa@arcticturn.info
Location
Anchorage , Alaska 99501
United StatesBio
Rosa grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles knowing that was not her place in the world. A life-long animal lover and an appreciator of open spaces, she moved north first to UC Santa Cruz for undergraduate studies then the University of Alaska in Fairbanks for graduate work studying owls. Life in the north provided endless adventures traveling around Alaska initially as a student, then with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and a brief period at UC Boulder where she completed a Ph.D. It was while evaluating impacts of oil and gas development for the Service that Rosa refined her interest in ecology and understanding and mitigating development impacts. Throughout her studies and career, she continued her interest in and support of wildlife and wildland conservation. Interest and support for environmental monitoring continued with her involvement in the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program where she led the marine mammal group’s contribution to the State of the Arctic report to the Arctic Council.
Rosa’s career with the Service focused on conservation principles related to evaluating development scenarios both on land and in the marine environment. She has a long history of working on oil and gas issues beginning with the initial development in Prudhoe Bay through reviewing potential lease sales across the North Slope and offshore. She also worked with indigenous people throughout Alaska in the Federal Subsistence program and in marine mammal management. A highlight was the successful development and passage of the US-Russia Polar Bear treaty for the cooperative management of the Chukchi Polar Bear population. shared between the two countries. The multi-year process success was due in large part to effective partnerships with Alaska Natives and their Russian counterparts with support from all levels in the Federal government.
Over the years, Rosa has worked with many groups to advocate conservation, most recently with the Chugach State Park Advisory Board. Her commitment to Alaska and Arctic issues is deep and reflects a life-long passion for wildlife and wildlands. Her family history in Alaska began with her grandfather’s uncles who worked on Yukon River Steamboats and helped identify (and profit from) the gold strike near Fairbanks in the early 1900s. Her grandfather joined his uncles in mining ventures and a townsite near Pedro Dome is named for them. Her father served in the Airforce as a flight physician during the Korean war. While stationed in Fairbanks, he organized and flew medical supplies and conducted clinics throughout the State. He retained a lifelong love of Alaska and enjoyed annual visits. Rosa’s commitment to conservation and the Arctic reflects at least in part her family’s interest and involvement in Alaska.
Rosa’s career with the Service focused on conservation principles related to evaluating development scenarios both on land and in the marine environment. She has a long history of working on oil and gas issues beginning with the initial development in Prudhoe Bay through reviewing potential lease sales across the North Slope and offshore. She also worked with indigenous people throughout Alaska in the Federal Subsistence program and in marine mammal management. A highlight was the successful development and passage of the US-Russia Polar Bear treaty for the cooperative management of the Chukchi Polar Bear population. shared between the two countries. The multi-year process success was due in large part to effective partnerships with Alaska Natives and their Russian counterparts with support from all levels in the Federal government.
Over the years, Rosa has worked with many groups to advocate conservation, most recently with the Chugach State Park Advisory Board. Her commitment to Alaska and Arctic issues is deep and reflects a life-long passion for wildlife and wildlands. Her family history in Alaska began with her grandfather’s uncles who worked on Yukon River Steamboats and helped identify (and profit from) the gold strike near Fairbanks in the early 1900s. Her grandfather joined his uncles in mining ventures and a townsite near Pedro Dome is named for them. Her father served in the Airforce as a flight physician during the Korean war. While stationed in Fairbanks, he organized and flew medical supplies and conducted clinics throughout the State. He retained a lifelong love of Alaska and enjoyed annual visits. Rosa’s commitment to conservation and the Arctic reflects at least in part her family’s interest and involvement in Alaska.