Michael Rubino, Ph.D.

As Senior Advisor, Dr. Rubino works with industry, scientists, and government agencies to foster innovative seafood policy, science, and technology developments. In particular, he designs ways the federal government can partner with industry and others to increase the value of U.S. commercial fisheries, expand U.S. aquaculture production, transition innovative R&D to commercial use, and encourage Americans to eat more U.S. produced seafood. He also represents NOAA on the federal interagency subcommittee on aquaculture. 

Dr. Rubino was the Director of the Office of Aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries where he led the rebuilding of NOAA’s aquaculture program along with the development of aquaculture regulations for federal and state waters, the National Shellfish Initiative, the USDA-NOAA Alternative Feeds Initiative, a refresh of the NOAA and Department of Commerce aquaculture policies, and the development of new science tools for aquaculture management. Prior to his work at NOAA, he led the formation of international agribusiness, environmental, and renewable energy investment funds at the World Bank. Earlier, Dr. Rubino co-founded an aquaculture R&D company with operations in South Carolina and the Caribbean and was a partner in a shrimp farm in South Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in natural resources from the University of Michigan.