Sheyna Wisdom

Sheyna Wisdom is the Executive Director of the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), the Alaska regional component of the national Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) based in Anchorage. Prior to her position at AOOS, she was an environmental consultant for 19 years with an emphasis in large scale program management, marine mammal permitting and compliance, and research. For the last 10 years, she served as the General Manager of Fairweather Science, a small consulting firm in Anchorage. Wisdom was involved in a multitude of projects across Alaska, including an artificial polar bear den detection study, marine ecosystem studies in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, and marine mammal monitoring projects in Cook Inlet. The Chukchi Sea Environmental Studies Project (CSESP), a jointly-funded industry marine research program, was awarded the Governor’s Safety Award for Excellence and the Arctic Technologies Conference Distinguished Achievement Award under her management. In her involvement in these projects, she has developed strong relationships with communities across the Alaskan arctic coast and thoroughly enjoys traveling to remote villages to collaborate with community members. Sheyna was a member of the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) 2016-2018, was on the Board of Directors for the Prince William Sound Science Center 2017-2020, and is a member of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Habitat and Threat Committee. Prior to moving to Alaska in 2006, Sheyna lived in California as a biologist/noise analyst working throughout the U.S. with specific emphasis on assessing impacts of noise on wildlife and people. She remains actively involved in marine mammal research when possible, teaming with scientists conducting research in Hawaii, Mexico, California, and Alaska.