Marie Thoms

Marie Thoms headshot
Professional Title
Communication Manager

What I do for Sea Grant 

  • Provide strategic communication program guidance and media relations
  • Manage Sea Grant-related communication products and services
  • Manage Sea Grant's primary and selected project websites
  • Support the director to manage Sea Grant's legislative and government affairs
  • Manage messaging and marketing for Sea Grant products
  • Editorial and scientific review of proposals
  • Annual federal reporting
  • Provide news releases on programs, projects, products, and services
  • Serve on Minnesota Sea Grant's leadership team.

Research Interests

  • Science communication
  • Public understanding of science
  • Science journalism
  • Communication science

Education

M.S. - Professional Communication
University of Alaska Fairbanks
B.S. - Biological Sciences
Western Michigan University
B.S. - Natural Resources and Environmental Communication
The Ohio State University

Outreach Projects

The Great Lakes Aquaculture Collaborative (GLAC) is a three-year (2019-2022) project to create a regionwide group to foster relevant, science-based initiatives that support aquaculture industries. Credit: L. Angradi.

The Aquaculture Market Study is a three-year (2020-2023), $250,000 project led by the University of Minnesota Sea Grant program that was created to determine the potential for a sustainable food-fish aquaculture industry in Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota Sea Grant program is developing producer-scale methods for raising Yellow Perch fish from egg to market size in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).

FreshFishFinder.org was developed to meet a need to directly connect fish producers with consumers after the disruption of traditional markets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Upcoming Events