Between California and Hawai’i, I grew up in a family of ocean lovers who spend much of their free time surfing, fishing and diving. I honed in on my personal connection with the sea to pursue a career in ocean protection.
I received my Bachelor of Science from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and my JD from the Georgetown University Law Center, where I focused on international and environmental law. Related to environmental protection and marine resource management, I’ve worked for: T.C. Hoffmann & Associates, Global Exchange/the Green Festivals, the Environmental Integrity Project, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of General Council for International Law. I also have experience working on international security issues with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Science Applications International Corporation, the U.S. Department of Defense and related entities.
I also enjoy: running a non-profit that throws parties for social and environmental causes (Partycorps.org), surfing, hiking, biking, yoga, camping, listening to music, and dancing.
Posted February 7, 2012 by Leila Monroe in Moving Beyond Oil, Reviving the World's Oceans, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, Solving Global Warming
Credit: The Toronto Zoo A cuddly ball of white fur is rolling around the Toronto Zoo this week, as zoo keepers introduced their new polar bear cub to the public on Friday. The cub—which was born prematurely and rejected...continued→
Posted January 5, 2012 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
From stopping offshore oil spills to saving sharks; from protecting the oceans most special places to tackling ocean trash: 2011 was a busy year in the fight to protect the world’s cceans. Reflecting on some of the major ocean events...continued→
Posted November 3, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Curbing Pollution, Reviving the World's Oceans, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
NRDC just formally submitted its views to the United Nations Secretariat for next year’s Rio+20 Earth Summit. We asked that the gathering of world leaders in Rio de Janeiro next June produce concrete results: “Rio+20 should generate real actions on...continued→
Posted October 7, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
Today, Governor Brown used the power of his pen to protect sharks and our oceans. We could not be more excited and grateful to the Governor, the sponsors of Assembly Bill 376 -- Assembly Members Paul Fong and Jared Huffman...continued→
Posted September 14, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
Last week, I reported that the state legislature took a huge step towards protecting sharks and our ocean ecosystems by passing AB 376, which will ban the sale and trade of shark fins in California. Now, the bill is on...continued→
Posted September 6, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
I’m not sure how sharks celebrate, but if these endangered creatures knew that California’s State Senate just voted to pass Assembly Bill 376, no doubt they’d break out a toothy grin or blow some party bubbles. This hugely important victory...continued→
Posted August 3, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
It’s Shark Week again over at the Discovery Channel, but this year the excitement is accompanied by a tidal wave of attention around the need to protect these fascinating – and critically important – creatures. The truth is that humans...continued→
Posted July 25, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
World-renowned freediver and “shark whisperer” William Winram is a guest at an exciting event this Thursday at San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay. Traveling all the way from Switzerland, he will show astonishing footage and share his experiences swimming with...continued→
Posted July 21, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
Lately I’ve been blogging a lot about saving sharks, but now it’s time for an interlude to touch on challenges at the other end of the marine food web. While conditions deteriorate for many of Earth’s salty denizens, jellyfish are...continued→
Posted July 7, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
Governments around the world are taking action to protect sharks. This is because sharks are often worth more alive than dead. Sharks are valuable because they keep ecosystems healthy, and shark-viewing tourism is becoming a major industry in many places. This...continued→
Posted June 28, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
This afternoon, California came one important step closer to banning the sale, trade and distribution of shark fins. Assembly Bill 376 passed out of the Senate Natural Resources & Water Committee with the support of Senators Pavley, LaMalfa, Evans, Kehoe, Padilla,...continued→
Posted June 24, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
This morning, 34 actors, directors, musicians and other celebrities joined NRDC, Wild Aid, and the Humane Society of the U.S. to stand up for Sharks. Read this letter -- from Leonardo Di Caprio, Yao Ming, Edward Norton, Ben Stiller, Anthony...continued→
Posted June 10, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
Sharks are in serious trouble as a result of the international shark fin trade, with some populations declined by 99%. Why should you care? Because sharks are amazing creatures – they are more clever, curious, and intelligent than Jaws would...continued→
Posted June 6, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
In one year, government, business, and citizen leaders from around the world will turn their attention to Rio de Janeiro for the Earth Summit 2012. As we get ready for the Earth Summit, we must generate real actions on the...continued→
Posted May 24, 2011 by Leila Monroe in Reviving the World's Oceans
Yesterday, California’s State Assembly showed overwhelming bi-partisan support for protecting sharks by voting 65-8* in favor of AB 376, which would ban the sale, possession and trade of shark fins in the Golden State. Assembly lawmakers who voted for the...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
