Katharine (Trina) Wellman holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics and an M.M.A. in Marine Policy, both from the University of Washington, Seattle. She has worked at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Battelle Memorial Institute, and most recently at Northern Economics Inc. as a research scientist and environmental economist. She has also served on the Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel and Southern Killer Whale Recovery Task Force for the State of Washington. Katharine was formerly president of the board of Salish Seas Expedition (a boat based experiential program that provides marine science education to middle and high school students) and served on the science advisory board of the SeaDoc Society on Orcas Island, Washington.
Katharine’s most recent work includes economic impact analysis and ecosystem service valuations of shellfish aquaculture, assessments of the benefits of coastal ocean observing systems and impacts of climate variability and ocean acidification on coastal activities, benefit/cost analysis of marine resource uses, stakeholder involvement and stakeholder choice experiments, the role of the human dimension in marine ecosystem restoration, and the development of indicators of human wellbeing.
Katharine has authored two guides on the use of environmental valuation in coastal management and policy decision making. She has also contributed to numerous journals and conferences on topics such as the economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services in National Estuary Program decision making, improving stewardship of the marine environment, stakeholder values in marine environmental policy choices, vulnerability and adaptation of US shellfisheries to ocean acidification, and the human dimension of the Puget Sound ecosystem.
Katharine retired from her professional career in 2022 but continues to provides input on aquaculture policy development for the State of Maine and on economic issues associated with Washington State shellfish aquaculture. In addition, she serves on the Town of Sorrento Planning Board, Comprehensive Plan Committee, Climate Resilience Committee and Schoodic Area League of Towns.
Before retirement and the move back to her natal state of Maine and the town of Sorrento, Katharine lived in Seattle, Washington with two lovely daughters, former spouse and many many pets. She recently took the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardner Class and is happily relandscaping her property and expanding her “salt water” farm. She is also working to master water color painting and US Sailing certifications. Katharine loves to sail, paddle board, kayak and play pickleball. In the winter months she spends many an hour walking, hiking and snow shoeing with friends and her close companion Roo (an Australian Cobber Dog) and when possible travelling to distance lands such as Antarctica, Tasmania and soon Southeast Asia.
