Barbara J. Lausche, JD

Biography:

Presently:

 Director, Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Sarasota, Florida,
USA (since 2011). A number of MPI projects involve collaborations with the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, an intergovernmental organization with UN observer status)
and NOAA, among others, with policy assessments and papers on various topics related to
marine conservation and Mote’s mission.

 Chair (since 2019): Marine Connectivity Working Group (more than 100 marine specialists
worldwide) of the IUCN-World Commission on Protected Areas, Connectivity Conservation
Specialist Group.

Expertise: Barbara is an international environmental lawyer, advisor and policy analyst with more than
30 years of experience in conservation law and policy, nationally and internationally, including to
developing countries, providing drafting assistance with national legislation and regulations, and
technical advice on compliance with associated international law and policy. Her main areas of focus
(terrestrial and marine) have been protected areas/biodiversity conservation, integrated conservation
planning, climate change and sea level rise adaptation, connectivity conservation and conservation
finance. Prior positions have included serving as staff with the U.S. EPA/Office of Legislation, U.S.
Congress Office of Technology Assessment/Renewable Resources Program, World Wildlife Fund-
US/Legal Technical Assistance Program, and World Bank/Legal Department and Global Environment
Facility. Early in her career she served two tours as a Peace Corps Volunteer, the second tour as
legislative drafter in the Solicitor General’s Office, The Gambia, West Africa.

Since the 1980s, she has been an active member of the IUCN World Commission of Environmental Law
and World Commission on Protected Areas, as well as the International Council on Environmental Law.
In 2001, Barbara co-founded the Science and Environment Council of Sarasota County (a non-profit
organization of public and non-profit organizations with environmental missions or mandates, now
expanded to Southwest Florida), and served as its Executive Director until 2006.
She is a graduate of the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University, and a member of the DC and
Minnesota Bar Associations.