Leslie Eldridge

Senior Instructor
MESM, Marine Coastal Resource Management & Conservation Planning, University of California, Santa Barbara, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, 2008; BA Cultural and Social Anthropology, Psychology, 2000

Courses taught at SOU:

• The Southern Oregon Bioregion (ES 100)
• Introduction to Environmental Science (ES 200)
• Introduction to Environmental Science & Policy: Biological Sciences Science (ES 102)
• Energy and Climate Change (ES 327)
• Marine Conservation (ES 354)
• Conservation in America (ES 437)
• Eco-Adventure series (ES 408)

My research and professional experience focuses on data-based and stakeholder-driven management and/or policy solutions to complex environmental problems. Most of my work has been in policy and legislation, but focuses on synthesizing the relevant scientific, cultural and economic information while facilitating interest groups to reach a negotiated set of management changes. My graduate research and later professional work focused on how to reduce commercial shipping impacts on endangered whales off the coast of California. Management solutions were informed by a stakeholder group of marine biologists and ecologists, acousticians, environmental advocacy groups, federal and state government agencies and shipping industry representatives. I am especially interested in exploring ways to bring traditionally oppositional sides together to realize environmental, economic and social/cultural benefits.

Selected Articles:

• Joint Working Group on Vessel Strikes and Acoustic Impacts. 2012. Vessel Strikes and Acoustic Impacts. Report of a Joint Working Group of Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries Advisory Councils. San Francisco, CA. 43 pp. http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/protect/shipstrike/pdfs/strikes_acoustic.pdf
• Lindholm, J. and R. Pavia (Eds). 2010. Examples of ecosystem-based management in national marine sanctuaries: moving from theory to practice. Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series ONMS-10-02. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD. 33pp. http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/pdfs/nceas.pdf
• Abramson, L., Polefka, S., Hastings, S., Bor, K. 2009. Reducing the Threat of Ship Strikes on Large Cetaceans in the Santa Barbara Channel Region and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Prepared and adopted by the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. 73 pgs. http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/conservation/pdfs/ship_strikes.pdf
• Abramson, L, Chennell, M, Eisch, E, Glassco, A. and Holley, T. (2009) Post-Fire Sedimentation and Flood Risk Potential in the Mission Creek Watershed of Santa Barbara. Master’s Thesis, University of California, Santa Barbara. http://ees.bren.ucsb.edu/research/documents/Hydro_Final_Report.pdf

See Leslie Eldridge’s Professional CV

Office: Science Building 072
E-Mail: eldridgel@sou.edu