About Us

Michael LeVine

Senior Director, Alaska Programs
Juneau, Alaska

I am incredibly lucky to get to live in Juneau and feel fortunate every day that my life, work, and passions overlap in Alaska. Life here is inextricably tied to the ocean. I get to see first-hand how it is changing, learn from people whose livelihoods, communities, and cultures depend on healthy oceans, and work toward sustainable management choices.

Areas of Expertise

Arctic conservation
Offshore oil and gas
Climate change
Sustainable fisheries
Community and ecosystem-based management

Mike first came to Alaska as an intern in 1999. He fell in love with the wild places and even wilder people, and he moved back for good in 2002. After more than 15 years in Alaska, he has not lost any of his enthusiasm for the state or for the opportunities to work collaboratively on solutions to difficult problems facing the ocean.

As Senior Director of Alaska Programs at Ocean Conservancy, Mike works to bring comprehensive, science-based management and stewardship to choices about the Pacific and Arctic large marine ecosystems. In partnership with communities, government entities and others, Mike seeks to bridge the gap between science, law and policy to help better inform decisions about the ocean. Prior to joining Ocean Conservancy, Mike worked for the Juneau offices of Oceana and Earthjustice on issues related to on- and off-shore oil leasing and exploration, fisheries, transportation and forest management.

Mike is a recognized expert on Arctic issues, offshore energy, climate change and fisheries. He is committed to finding conservation solutions by working across traditional divides, building partnerships, and learning from local knowledge holders, community leaders, and other experts. He is a member of the Climate Action for Alaska Leadership Team convened by Governor Walker to craft an Alaskan strategy to further climate change mitigation, adaptation, research and response.

Education

Juris Doctor, with high honors, from Duke University School of Law
Master of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke
B.S., with distinction, in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University

My favorite thing about the ocean

I’m an incurable beachcomber. Seashells are my real weakness, but I also have bones, rocks, and other mementos from almost every beach I’ve ever visited. I’ve been known to plan entire trips around getting to remote beaches, hike miles to get places other people haven’t already picked over, and get up at strange hours to beat the crowd to a receding tide. Many of the treasures I’ve found are among my most prized possessions.

Recent publications

Michael LeVine, et al., Oil Spill Response in the North American Arctic: Canada, the United States, and Greenland, in Managing the Risk of Offshore Oil and Gas Accidents: The International Legal Dimension (Günther Handl & Kristoffer Svendsen, eds., 2018).

Michael LeVine, Andrew Hartsig. Modernizing Management of Offshore Oil and Gas in Federal Waters. Environmental Law Reporter. [PDF]

David Roche, et al., Dialogue: Ocean Policy and the Trump Administration, 47 Environmental Law Reporter 10287 (2017).

Michael LeVine, et al., Next Steps to Reforming the Regulations Governing Offshore Oil and Gas Planning and Leasing, 33 Alaska L. Rev. 1 (2016)

Michael LeVine, Peter Van Tuyn, and Layla Hughes, Oil and Gas in America’s Arctic Ocean: Past Problems Counsel Precaution, 37 Seattle U. L. Rev. 1271 (2014)

Michael LeVine, Andrew Hartsig, and Maggie Clements, What About BOEM? The Need to Reform the Regulations Governing Offshore Oil and Gas Planning and Leasing, 31 Alaska L. Rev. 231 (2014).

Claire Christian, et al., A review of formal objections to Marine Stewardship Council fisheries certifications, 161 Biological Conservation 10 (2013).

Michael LeVine and Andrew Hartsig, Management and oversight of offshore oil and gas—the need for change, 42 Trends 1 (2010).

Michael LeVine, Note, How Permanent Became Temporary in Del Monte Dunes, 49 Duke L. J. 803 (1999).

Oversight Hearing on “Arctic Resources and American Competitiveness,” House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources (June 16, 2015).

North Pacific Perspectives on Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and the Coast Guard (February 27, 2014).

Legislative Hearing on HR 2231, the “Offshore Energy and Jobs Act,” House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources (June 11, 2013).

NOAA’s Steller Sea Lion Science and Fishery Management Restrictions, “Does the Science Support the Decisions?” House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources (October 17, 2011).