NCCOS Staff

Sean Corson came to NOAA as a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in 2001. In 2002 he moved to Hawaii to join the team working on the establishment of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and World Heritage Site. Sean held several positions there including sanctuary designation coordinator, field operations coordinator, and Deputy Superintendent. During his time in Hawaii, Sean worked effectively with a wide variety of people from Native Hawaiian, commercial and recreational fishing, ecotourism, shipping, research, military, and management communities to establish an enduring marine protected area. He oversaw and participated in multiple deep and shallow water research expeditions, and designed and implemented regulatory and permitting frameworks designed to address competing use challenges.

Sean moved to Annapolis, Maryland in 2008 to become the Deputy Director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, part of the Office of Habitat Conservation within the National Marine Fisheries Service. In that role he was responsible for the people, facilities, assets, budget execution, and daily operations of the office.

In 2019, Sean became the Director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, overseeing programs in oyster restoration, environmental observations, ecosystem science, environmental literacy, and climate. He represented NOAA in the Chesapeake Bay Program, a regional partnership spanning six states and the District of Columbia, working together to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Sean has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Biology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master of Forest Science from the Yale School of the Environment. Sean lives in Annapolis with his wife Denise and sons Nolan and Liam.