Harold K.L. Castle Foundation welcomes Dr. Amber W. Datta as marine program officer

The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation has appointed Dr. Amber W. Datta as its new marine program officer, tasking her with leading the foundation’s efforts to strengthen marine ecosystems and support community-based stewardship across Hawai‘i.

Datta, a Hawai‘i Island native, succeeds Eric Co, who was recently named CEO of the foundation under a new co-leadership model. Co will share executive responsibilities with Alex Harris, who oversees all grantmaking strategies.

“We are honored to welcome Amber to our team,” Harris said. “She brings an impressive blend of academic excellence, hands-on experience and deep-rooted commitment to Hawai‘i’s communities and natural resources.”

Datta holds a joint Ph.D. in conservation science, supported by the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship. She recently completed a Smith Conservation Postdoctoral Fellowship, where she partnered with Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo’s statewide network of coastal communities and the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources to examine how coastal and nearshore marine decision-making can become more adaptive under state law.

She has previously worked with The Nature Conservancy, contributed to the Holomua Marine Initiative and served in volunteer leadership roles with the West Hawai‘i Fishery Council. Her fieldwork has taken her from the Great Barrier Reef to the Solomon Islands to communities across Hawai‘i.

“It is a privilege to join the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and support efforts to protect Hawai‘i’s ocean resources in ways that respect local communities and traditions,” Datta said. “While my research and partnerships have taken me throughout the Pacific, my work remains deeply rooted here at home. I am committed to advancing marine stewardship efforts that reflect the values of our communities and respond to the specific needs of our islands.”