Robert Mazurek has dedicated over two decades to strengthening ocean governance and creating resilient marine ecosystems worldwide. Though he grew up far from the ocean in Illinois, his early fascination with whales and dolphins sparked a lifelong passion that would take him from California's coast to international waters and back again.

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Robert began his conservation career in California, playing a key role in launching the Monterey Bay Aquarium's internationally recognized Seafood Watch program and developing the management plan for the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.

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His expertise then led him to international conservation work, where his efforts with the Pew Charitable Trusts helped establish some of the world's largest marine reserves, including Australia's Coral Sea Marine National Park, Chile's Easter Island Marine Reserve, and the U.K.'s Pitcairn Island Marine Reserve. Through the Secure Fisheries program he founded, Robert collaborated with government agencies across East Africa and the Indian Ocean—including in Somalia, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Mauritius, Seychelles, the Maldives, and Madagascar—to strengthen maritime governance, combat illegal fishing, and ensure food security. These efforts resulted in enhanced cross-border cooperation between Western Indian Ocean States.

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Drawing on his international experience, Robert refocused his efforts on California waters as a co-founder of the California Ocean Alliance. In April 2021, he became Executive Director of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, transforming the organization by growing the team from 8 to 30 staff members while developing a unique conservation portfolio that spans from watersheds to whales. Under his leadership, CMSF has become a catalyst for conservation impact through programs in water quality, marine conservation, coastal restoration, and climate resilience, forging critical partnerships with dozens of organizations, government agencies, universities, and corporations.

 

Robert also continues to serve as Chair of the California Ocean Alliance Board of Directors and sits on the External Advisory Committee for the UC Davis Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management.

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A longtime Santa Cruz County resident, Robert and his wife Heather have two daughters, Ella and Riley.