Moderator: Jason Patlis, President and CEO, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Mr. Patlis has more than 19 years of experience in law, policy, finance and management. Working in both the public and private sectors, domestically and internationally, he has specialized in the development and implementation of environmental laws and policies, with specific expertise in marine conservation, climate change, and foreign assistance. Previously, he has served as Vice President and Managing Director for U.S. Government Relations at the World Wildlife Fund, served under Chairman Sherwood Boehlert as Deputy Staff Director for the House Science Committee, and worked as Counsel on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee under the late Senator John Chafee, handling fish and wildlife issues for the committee. Mr. Patlis has conducted research as a Fulbright Senior Scholar and worked as a consultant in Indonesia, and has also worked as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Special Remarks: The Honorable Lois Capps, Co-Chair, National Marine Sanctuary Caucus
Congresswoman Lois Capps was sworn in as a Freshman Member of the 105th Congress on March 17, 1998, succeeding her late husband, Congressman Walter Capps. She was the Representative of California’s 22nd District from 1998 to 2002. Since January 2003, Capps has served as the Representative of the 23rd District. Her district includes portions of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties, and has the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the southernmost portion of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off of its coast. She is committed to helping people improve their daily lives through better schools, quality health care, and a cleaner environment. Capps currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Jack Sobel, Senior Policy Analyst, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
As a senior policy analyst for ONMS, Mr. Sobel researches, analyzes, and advises on diverse, strategic, crosscutting issues, including development of a National Ocean Policy, marine spatial planning, marine reserves and protected areas, offshore energy development, aquaculture, and legislation. Previously, he held several positions at the Ocean Conservancy, including Director of Strategic Conservation Science and Policy, Director of Ecosystem Programs, and Senior Scientist. He played a key leadership role in non-governmental efforts to expand and strengthen the National Marine Sanctuary Program, create and develop the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, initiate the use of marine zoning and marine reserves within it, and establish the landmark Tortugas Ecological Reserve. He focused special attention on the ecosystem effects of fishing and other consumptive activities, and on the use of marine "no-take" reserves to address such effects and provide a wide-range of benefits.

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William J. Douros, West Coast Regional Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries protects and manages 14 special marine areas, ensuring the sustainable use of the ecological and cultural resources of those special places. Mr. Douros oversees the management and operations of the ONMS West Coast Region, which includes over 12,000 square miles protected by five of the program’s national marine sanctuaries. Mr. Douros has served as Superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the nation’s largest national marine sanctuary, located offshore of central California. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Director of the Santa Barbara County, California, Planning & Development Department where he was responsible for leading the division that regulated offshore oil and gas development projects in the county.

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Steve Gaines, PhD, University of California at Santa Barbara
Dr. Gaines is Director of the Marine Science Institute at UCSB and will be the Dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management beginning in January. He is a marine ecologist who has worked on a wide range of large scale issues in marine conservation, including the design of marine protected area networks, the response of marine ecosystems to climate change, and sustainable fisheries using market based approaches. He has helped develop several large interdisciplinary research programs including PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans) and the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

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Sean Cosgrove, Marine Campaign Director, Conservation Law Foundation
Mr. Cosgrove works for New England’s leading conservation advocacy organization on a range of ocean and coastal policy issues including management and appropriations related to the National Marine Sanctuary System. He directs conservation strategies for CLF and is the organization’s primary representative in Washington, DC. Sean has been active in conservation issues and natural resource management since 1992.

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