Shelby Creager
Shelby Creager is a Marine Resources Specialist and SME with the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Mission Readiness Branch. In her current role, Shelby directly supports the implementation of Navy-wide guidance to ensure the Navy can conduct its critical training, testing, MILCON, and shipyard activities essential for national defense and warfighter readiness, while ensuring that these operations are executed in compliance with environmental laws and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Her work and experience involves direct collaboration with senior officials across the Department of War, Navy Secretariat and SYSCOMs, and regulatory agencies such as NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, balancing the Navy’s operational readiness with its environmental stewardship responsibilities.
Shelby’s expertise and passion for marine science is built on a strong foundation of education, field work, and environmental policy. She earned a Master of Science in Biology from Florida Atlantic University, where her research focused on the biomechanics of shark skin, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Texas Christian University. Prior to her current career with the Navy, Shelby held positions as a Fisheries Observer with NOAA NMFS’s shark research fishery program and as an Endangered Species Act Section 7 Biologist with NMFS’ Southeast Regional and Pacific Islands Regional Offices. Some of her awards include the Department of War’s NAVSEA Office of Warfighting Readiness Recognition Award, and the Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award for her work on the Protected Resources Efficiencies Program.