Courtney Arthur
Senior Associate
Courtney Arthur is an environmental scientist with more than fifteen years of experience addressing complex environmental issues. She specializes in natural resource damage assessment (NRDA), environmental assessments, and the science of plastic pollution and marine debris. Her proficiency with NRDA is built on wide-ranging case support across the United States, from complex chemical manufacturing and mining sites to diverse urban riverine sites and coastal systems. She assists federal, state, and Tribal clients in quantifying ecological injuries caused by releases of hazardous substances, implementing field studies to address data gaps, and drafting restoration plans for terrestrial and aquatic resources. Courtney utilizes her understanding of ecological project design, ecological monitoring and conservation science, and performance metrics to help public and non-governmental organizations conduct a variety of environmental assessments. She is skilled at establishing and leading highly qualified teams of experts to conduct complex analyses and develop technical reports. At the beginning of her career, she forged expertise in marine debris and plastic pollution science as the research coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program from 2008 to 2014. In that role, she created a strategic research portfolio focused on understanding the sources and impacts of derelict fishing gear and microplastic pollution, developed field methods, prepared technical reports, and coordinated state-of-the-science workshops with internationally recognized experts.
Courtney holds a B.S., cum laude, in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary, as well as a Master of Science in Marine Biology with a focus on Environmental Chemistry from the College of Charleston.