Tom Ford

Tom Ford is a Co-Executive Director of the Coastal Research Institute at Loyola Marymount University, the Executive Director of The Bay Foundation, and the Director of the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program. As part of his engagement at Loyola Marymount University, Tom is part time faculty teaching environmental science and serves as a faculty affiliate for the environmental science program at Seaver College. Tom holds a M.A. from UCLA in Marine Ecology and a B.A. from the University of Rhode Island in Biology. Tom has been engaged in the study and restoration of kelp forests since he moved to LA in 1998. Other current projects include aerial mapping of boats, abalone genetics-disease risk management, abalone recovery, sea urchin gonad indices, coastal climate change vulnerability and resilience, and SCUBA based biological monitoring of Marine Protected Areas. In addition, Tom serves on: the board of directors of the Southern California Marine Institute, the Joint Strategic Advisory Committee for the Southern, Central-Northern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, and the Association of National Estuary Programs. Tom’s expertise are internationally recognized supporting efforts to promote fisheries and increase coastal resilience along the US West Coast, British Columbia, Australia, and Tasmania.