Jacob Boyd was recently promoted to Habitat and Enhancement Section chief.  In this position, he will oversee the Shellfish Rehabilitation, Artificial Reef, Shellfish Mapping and the Shellfish Lease and Aquaculture Lease programs. It is also the section responsible for the division’s Coastal Habitat Protection Plan responsibilities.

Boyd is no stranger to managing large programs. Many will recognize him from his work with the division’s Observer Program. Since 2012, he worked within the Protected Resources Section as a marine fisheries biologist II managing the division’s At-Sea Observer Program. Boyd was responsible for coordinating on-board and alternative platform observer trips to identify sea turtle and Atlantic sturgeon interactions in the commercial gill net fishery. These observations are needed for commercial fishermen to stay in compliance with the federal Incidental Take Permits. Boyd made observer assignments, reported observed interactions and submitted all reports to NOAA Fisheries, as required by the permits.  He was also responsible for hiring, training, and managing staff.

Boyd started with the division in 2007 and has worked in a variety of positions including technician positions for gill net surveys, the Marine Recreational Information Program and the Aging Lab.  Boyd holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.S. in Biology from East Carolina University. He is a member of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, serving as president of the chapter in 2012 and is currently a member of the Executive Committee. In addition, he served as both vice-president and president of the East Carolina University Student Subunit of the American Fisheries Society during graduate school. Boyd has represented the division on multiple committees over the years including serving as vice-chair on the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program Bycatch Committee

Jacob, who officially started as section chief on April 9, is ready for the challenges required for managing a section with a large diverse staff who are responsible for large-scale programs and operations. One of the many challenges will be managing the Shellfish Lease Program that is experiencing significant expansion. In 2016, there were 275 leases covering 1,813 acres. In one year, this increased to 320 leases covering 1,910 acres. There is significant interest in the program from shellfish growers, but also from people who use the water and adjacent property owners. The challenge will be how to manage the program while balancing all the interests of various stakeholders. Jacob states, “I look forward to taking on the challenges ahead by working with staff, meeting stakeholders, and providing customer service to advance the section and the division.”