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OR&R Staff Spotlight: Sarah Latshaw

Sarah Latshaw is the new Southeast Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program, based in Charleston, SC. She joined the Marine Debris Team at the end of October and is working with government, non-profit, and academic partners in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the east coast of Florida to address marine debris issues on a regional scale.


Sarah is not new to the topic of marine debris as she came to the NOAA Marine Debris Program from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control - Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (SCDHEC-OCRM). Working for SCDHEC-OCRM, Sarah was the Coastal Projects Manager, focusing on marine debris issues, coastal hazards, education and outreach.

Prior to becoming the Coastal Projects Manager for SCDHEC-OCRM, Sarah worked as a NOAA Coastal Management Fellow for the State, developing a Beachfront Vulnerability Index for South Carolina. She also worked with the Kiawah Island Conservancy to develop a research project that examined homeowner financed habitat restoration using the Painted Bunting as a focal species, which evolved into her thesis research for her Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies at the College of Charleston. Sarah also holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Georgia. (Go Dawgs!)

Sarah has learned that education and leading by example is a more effective path to creating positive behavior changes to reduce marine debris. She’s grateful for this new role and opportunity to address marine debris regionally.

Having grown up a “military brat”, moving from place to place, Sarah loves new adventures, learning about different cultures and exploring nature. Some of her favorite pastimes are bird watching, kayaking, swimming in the marsh, finding snakes, gardening, playing team sports and participating in litter clean-ups. She runs because she likes to eat, but she plays dodgeball because sometimes she doesn’t want to “use her words”.

Woman on a boat with bags of debris.
Sarah Laskow (NOAA)
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:48pm PST