Frances C. Robertson PhD
Marine Scientist and Project Manager

Dr. Frances Robertson is a marine scientist and project manager with over 20 years of experience in the marine research and policy arena. She earned her Doctoral degree in Zoology from the University of British Columbia, and her Masters of Research in Marine and Fisheries Biology from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom. Dr. Robertson has conducted research into the impacts of human activities on marine mammals throughout North America and the UK and is now applying similar methods to study the impacts of human activities on coastal marine habitats in the Salish Sea as a part of her work for San Juan County’s Marine Program in her role as Marine Project Manager.

Prior to joining San Juan County Frances was focused on marine mammal research, and marine mammal monitoring and mitigation. She has over 15years of marine mammal research experience studying the impacts of human activities on cetacean populations with her research taking her from the Alaskan Arctic, to British Columbia, Scotland, and the San Juan Islands in Washington State. She has spent months at sea on seismic survey ships implementing marine mammal mitigation and has flown numerous aerial surveys for marine mammals, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence for beluga Whales, and the coasts of northern Alaska monitoring for effects of offshore oil and gas activities on bowhead and beluga whales, ice seals, polar bear and walrus. In addition to undertaking extensive marine field surveys for marine mammals and other marine species, Frances has written Environmental Impact Assessments for the oil and gas industry, the tidal industry and the Navy.  She has published in, and reviews for numerous scientific journals and has participated in and facilitated multi-agency marine resource focused Task Forces, workshops, and committees. 

Dr. Robertson’s work for San Juan County covers a variety of projects and planning efforts including shoreline habitat restoration for salmon recovery, marine infrastructure assessments and management permitting and she also leads the County's Southern Resident killer whale recovery effort. Recently she has coordinated and authored the State of the San Juan County Marine Stewardship Area report on behalf of the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee that provides a comprehensive list of recommendations needed to move the needle on protection and sustainable management over the next decade.

Dr. Robertson established the Eelgrass Protection Initiative Consortium (EPIC) in 2020 that brought together all eelgrass experts working in San Juan County and has continued to pursue projects aimed at the protection of nearshore marine habitats. She is currently leading a county-wide effort to understand boating and boating infrastructure impacts to sensitive marine resources. Dr. Robertson leads the County’s environmental permitting efforts providing services to other departments as well as permitting and implementing her own shoreline restoration projects in the county including the removal of 132 creosote piles on San Juan Island in 2023.

Frances lives in San Juan County with her family, a small County at the heart of the Salish Sea in the northwest corner of Washington State. She continues to contribute to the marine mammal science world as a member of the Board of Directors for the Whale Museum, as a founding member of the Women in Marine Mammal Science Initiative, and as a member of the Society of Marine Mammalogy’s Diversity and Equity Committee.