Michael Bell

Director of the Central Coast Groundfish Project for The Nature Conservancy, California

For the past five years, Mr. Bell has been shaping one of the nation’s most innovative partnerships between environmentalists and fishermen. These historic adversaries are now working together to pioneer the use of less destructive fishing techniques, gather critical scientific data, and support policies that benefit both fishing communities and marine species. The project has been hailed in national and international media as a model for reforming fisheries. Mr. Bell jointed to The Nature Conservancy’s California Chapter in 2003 as director of the San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County Projects and transitioned to the Marine Program in 2005. Previously, he served as Director of Protection for the Conservancy’s New Jersey Chapter, where he safeguarded the state’s famous Pine Barrens. Before that, Mr. Bell served in the Peace Corps in Uruguay and conducted research on the economic viability of small-scale fisheries in La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico. He holds a B.S. in biology from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.

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