Areas of Expertise

• Marine Debris
• Effects of plastic waste on marine life
• Waste management
• Plastic material recovery
• Citizen scientist community engagement and mobilization

Allison Schutes serves as Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups at Ocean Conservancy where she oversees the annual International Coastal Cleanup, the world’s largest, single-day volunteer effort on behalf of the ocean. In this role, she helps to coordinate and mobilize a diverse global network of local charities and environmental advocacy groups who volunteer their time and data on marine debris to Ocean Conservancy. This data feeds into the Ocean Trash Index, an item-by item, location-by-location database of the most persistent forms of trash littering our beaches and ocean. Allison also plays a key role in the management of other stakeholder relationships for the Trash Free Seas® Program.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in Florida
• Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida

My Favorite Thing About the Ocean

Allison’s favorite thing about the ocean is that so many people have a deep, personal connection to it, and it is such a source of inspiration to all people, past and present. Working at Ocean Conservancy empowers her to give a greater voice to this source of inspiration for all of us – the ocean.