Anitra Thorhaug is an American marine biologist, plant ecophysiologist and a chemical oceanographer whose extensive work on the rehabilitation of coastal ecosystems has had a substantial influence on national and international policies on conservation around the world.
Presently Thorhaug leads multiple groups restoring coastal subtidal resources to combat global warming, shoreline erosion and fisheries decline as well as for a source of coastal employment across all continents. She works in all tropical and subtropical ocean basins around the world for carbon sequestration values of seagrasses, mangroves, marshes and macroalgae. She guides nations and regions in large-scale restoration processes with coastal resources previously degraded. Within The Club of Rome, she co-leads a group “the Voyageurs” examining pathways to positive futures.
Thorhaug is also engaged with educating the youth in low-income countries for skill sets in science and health for their future careers. She is co-President of the US Association of the Club of Rome and leads The Club of Rome Associations of the western hemisphere in their multiple meetings, conferences and joint webinars since her co-written book, “The Future of the Western Hemisphere”.
Thorhaug has elucidated toxic levels of pollutants through field and laboratory experimentation and helped nations around the world to set scientific standards to eliminate a series of pollutants. Her academic career includes faculty positions in leading universities in the US. Her consulting career includes United Nations Agencies (UNEP, FAO, IOC, UNDP), many national governments, and industry, where she has been influential in alleviating pollution as well as protecting and restoring near-shore resources.
For her many environmental, scientific and policy studies she has won a series of awards including four awards from the United Nations and an honorary doctorate.
