About Sandy Macfarlane

Do you need personalized, down-to-earth narrative to help you and your business thrive? What if your content copywriter actually has extensive experience in aquaculture and marine sustainability? As owner of Coastal Resource Specialists, Sandy Macfarlane speaks your language. Whether B2B, B2C, non-profit or other group, she brings the same high quality authenticity to each project. If you need strategic marketing help, newsletters or emails, customer success stories or special reports/white papers, she tailors each piece to connect with your audience, reflect your brand and support your goals.

Sandy Macfarlane's background singles her out as a content copywriter. It includes hands-on shellfish aquaculture, resource management planning and implementation, regulatory issues and enforcement, best management practices, investigative projects, and general knowledge of fisheries and the seafood sector. She authored three marine-related books: Swirling Currents: Controversy, Compromise and Dynamic Coastal Change; Rowing Forward, Looking Back: Shellfish and the Tides of Change at the Elbow of Cape Cod; and Tiggie: the Lure and Lore of Commercial Fishing in New England.

Sandy Macfarlane offers clear engaging narrative content that stands out. Her extensive experience in, and knowledge about sustainability of coastal resources, aquaculture, seafood and the marine world in generalsets her apart as a content copywriter.

Resume available on request.

Skills

    Sandy Macfarlane is a copywriter whose skills and knowledge cross several areas of expertise:
    • Copywriting - Strategic Thinking and Marketing, Case Study and White Paper Mastery, B2B Newsletters and Emails
    • Coastal Resource Management - Best Management Practices, Developing Resource Management Plans, Understanding Regulatory Oversight
    • Hands-on Aquaculture - Shellfish from Hatchery to Harvest

Background

  • Sandy Macfarlane was managing director for a municipal shellfish management program including experimental methods for nursery culture of quahaugs (hard clams), and oysters. She developed a shellfish management plan that included one of the first Aquaculture Development Areas in the region. As Conservation Administrator, she administered and enforced the MA Wetlands Protection Act and municipal Wetlands Bylaw. She formed her consulting company and conducted coastal resource management projects. She is a published author of peer reviewed papers, three marine-related books geared toward general audiences and numerous general interest articles and has presented over 50 technical papers at national and international venues plus numerous public presentations.

Awards/Honors

    • Achievement Award, New England Estuarine Research Society for significant contributions to estuarine research, conservation and management, 2025
    • Best Regional Nonfiction, Northeast Region; Tiggie: the Lure and Lore of Commercial Fishing in New England, 2009
    • Named one of “our finest” scientists and thinkers. Cape Cod Life, 2006
    • The OURS Award for Environmental Preservation for Lifetime Preservation Work, Orleans Historical Society, 2012

Books

  • Swirling Currents

    Explores the "why" of coastal issues in a narrative-driven, story behind the headlines format.

    Rowing Forward, Looking Back

    Tells the story of how a small coastal community changed into a highly developed seaside tourist destination, affecting the townspeople, the outstanding natural resources and a young professional working for the town to protect and enhance those resources.

    Tiggie

    Tells the "real deal" story of a fisherman plying his trade during a transitional time in the New England commercial fishing industry.