Joanna Smith

Joanna Smith is the Marine Spatial Planning Science Manager for Nature United, providing leadership for ocean use planning. Jo develops regional and national science-based marine plans and provides leadership to improve best practices and skills for practitioners. Previously, from 2011-2014, she was the Science Coordinator to the Marine Planning Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) in British Columbia, a multi-objective planning process co-led by the Province of BC and 18 First Nations. From 2008-2011, Joanna worked as a marine ecologist and science supervisor at TNC, leading the science to support marine planning work on the Washington coast and numerous conservation projects including a Northeast Pacific Marine Ecoregional Assessment. Prior to this, from 1995-2008, she was a private consultant with Birdsmith Ecological Research, a company she founded for research, conservation, and education.

With more than 15 years of experience in natural resource management in several countries, Joanna’s work at Nature United includes partnering with all levels of government and collaborating with scientists, marine industries, and communities to develop or implement marine plans in Canada, US and around the world. Jo focuses on creating strong linkages between science, policy, economics, and culture to develop recommendations for decision makers and is consulted for advice from national governments, non-governmental organisations, First Nations, industry, managers, and scientists.