Jake serves as the volunteer Executive Director of Oceans Forward. He is proud to lead an organization working to make the impossible a reality in marine conservation. He is committed to the individual and collective well-being of animals, people, and habitats we all call home.

Over the past two decades, Jake’s work has taken him around the world. His projects have included capacity-building among fishermen for whale disentanglement in Zanzibar, community sea turtle science and conservation in Dominica, and the spatial ecology of large whales in Iceland. He is also the co-founder of Flukebook.org, a global effort that unites marine mammal scientists with the public aimed at increasing our understanding of whale migrations.

Jake’s “day job” is at BOEM, where he focuses on solutions to address challenges associated with better understanding the behavior, habitat, changing distribution, and ecosystem roles of protected species, and especially the impact of energy development upon those species. 

Jake holds a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of New England, a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University, and is completing a PhD at the University of Massachusetts.

A classically trained Mime, in Jake’s spare time he enjoys building gingerbread houses that depict scenes from Little House on the Prairie.