James (Jim) DelBene is a PhD student studying socio-cultural values and their integration in marine and coastal planning and policy. James is interested in addressing complex environmental issues through relationship building and data analysis, synthesizing stakeholder priorities to inform decision-making. Previously, he worked as an environmental consultant, NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the US Senate, and NOAA contractor supporting decision-making on NOAA's observing systems. He completed his M.S. in Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) at William and Mary (Virginia, US) and a B.S. in Biology at Hope College (Michigan, US).