OceanDoctor

Welcome

During our long road trip to the university where my daughter would soon begin her first year, I was recounting that same period of my life and the fact that my parents had really wanted me to be a doctor....an M.D., that is. I hated to disappoint them, but I tried to explain that I wanted to pursue my true passion, marine biology. They were troubled that I'd never be able to make a "real" career out of this passing fancy, but 30 years later, I suppose I have. My daughter chimed in, "But you are a doctor. You're an ocean doctor!" Funny, but I had never thought of it that way. Yet I have spent much of my career studying and diagnosing what ails the oceans and advocating policies to heal them. So I looked at her and said, "I like that. I think I might use that some day." So, here it is -- please accept my warmest welcome to OceanDoctor’s blog, dedicated to the wonder of the oceans, being true to your dreams, and, of course, my daughter.

...David

Prior to his work as an independent consultant, Guggenheim served as Vice President for Conservation Policy at The Ocean Conservancy for four years where he oversaw that organization’s policy analysis, advocacy, research and international work. He oversaw conservation programs in Cuba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and elsewhere in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Before joining The Ocean Conservancy, Guggenheim served as President & CEO of The Conservancy of Southwest Florida for four years. He also served as co-chair of the Everglades Coalition. He worked to elevate both organizations’ effectiveness at the state and national levels in protecting and restoring Florida’s Everglades. Prior to his work at The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Guggenheim was an environmental consultant in Washington, DC where he conducted research on global warming. He directed an international team of researchers in a study of Siberian forests. For ten years, Guggenheim was Vice President of EcoAnalysis, Inc. in California, where he directed numerous environmental analysis and information management projects, including fish population studies, global warming research, environmental impact assessment and occupational health research. He also served as president of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park. Guggenheim spent more than a decade of summers in the Florida Keys as a program coordinator and marine biology instructor at Seacamp/Newfound Harbor Marine Institute.

Guggenheim holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University in Virginia. He holds Masters degrees in Population/Aquatic Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also received a Bachelors degree in Environmental Studies. Guggenheim is a member of the Advisory Council for the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a newly-established research institute dedicated to the exploration, research and conservation of the Gulf of Mexico. The institute is a tri-national cooperative effort uniting the U.S., Mexico and Cuba. Guggenheim is also an Advisory Board member of Reef Protect International, the Blue Frontier Campaign and the Ben Franklin Global Forum.

He is a certified Divemaster and has been a scuba diver for more than 30 years. He is an experienced pilot of the DeepWorker and DeepRover submersibles and participated in National Geographic’s Sustainable Seas Expeditions for 5 years. Guggenheim has been featured on CNN, National Geographic Today, Univision, and other news programs as an authority on marine conservation. He is a versatile public speaker and speaks regularly as a keynote or invited speaker. Guggenheim is an avid triathlete, photographer and videographer. He speaks Spanish and Russian.