Advisory Council

Torre Stockard
Torre Stockard is a research biologist with a BA in Biochemistry from Cornell University and a PhD in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her eclectic career has ventured into the realms of immunology, tuna swimming biomechanics, and diving physiology of marine mammals and penguins. Various jobs have taken her to the top of the Greenland ice sheet, six field seasons in Antarctica studying emperor penguins, and (while at National Geographic) to the world of live web video to promote conservation. Currently, she is working on salmon recovery in the Methow sub-basin, is an active board member of the North Central Washington Audubon Society, and is assisting PBI with our harbor porpoise research.

Florian Graner, Ph.D
Florian is a marine biologist and cinematographer who lives on Whidbey island. Although he dives around the world, Florian is most passionate about documenting the diverse underwater life in the Puget Sount. After finishing a B.Sc. degree in Marine Biology, Florian extended his hobby of underwater still photography into the field of film. Sealife Productions was started in the early 1990s by Florian. Now, more than a decade later, Florian holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology with specialization in marine mammals and works full-time as a freelance marine cinematographer. His films have been shown in many countries and his images can be seen in various books, field guides and dive magazines. His PhD was completed on Group Structure and Behaviour of the Harbour Porpoise in Norway. He brings a unique insight to assist PBI's harbor porpoise study in the Puget Sound. More information about Florian and Sealife Productions can be found on his website.

Melanie Rowland, Esq.
Melanie served as a senior attorney for NOAA's Office of General Counsel for over 15 years, concentrating on Endangered Species Act protection for marine mammals and marine fish. While at NOAA, she developed expertise in the effects of climate change on species persistence and continues to work in that field as an independent consultant. Melanie has also served as Senior Counsel for The Wilderness Society, Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington's Institute for Environmental Studies and Law School, conservation chair and board member of Seattle Audubon Society, and board member of the Washington Environmental Council and Washington Foundation for the Environment. She is co-author of the current edition of the nation's leading wildlife law treatise, The Evolution of National Wildlife Law. Melanie was one of the founding directors of the Pacific Biodiversity Institute.