Marine Policy & Law
The Marine Policy and Law program examines how laws and regulations influence policy decisions affecting the environment, with a particular emphasis on the coastal and marine systems of the Gulf. The team focuses on how laws impact human interactions with nature, such as planning resilient coastal communities; improving recreational access to natural resources; more effectively managing offshore energy resources; and working with partners in Mexico and Cuba to address transboundary environmental issues. Special emphasis is placed on collaborating with natural resource stakeholders in the Gulf region to improve the application of policy to science and enhance sustainable management of these resources for future generations.
The Marine Policy and Law program also provides a Law Fellowship. This unique opportunity enables an early-career attorney to work directly with the Chair of the Department to enhance their environmental law portfolio, assist with the department’s research, and develop a coastal research project of their own. The Fellowship is distinct among legal positions as the Fellow will work with coastal and marine experts while focusing on law and policy.
Results of the program’s research are shared with the community in Third Coast Lines, a legal publication for non-lawyers, and via other outreach.