- Claudio Campagna, Ph.D., a research biologist specializing in large marine mammals for the National Research Council of Argentina, who will foster creation of a "Sea & Sky Park" in Patagonia.
- Mark Erdmann, Ph.D., biologist and provincial advisor to USAID's Natural Resources Management Program in Sulawesi, Indonesia, who will develop interactive conservation courses to educate Indonesians about the threats to coral reefs and encourage actions to protect them.
- Julia Horrocks, Ph.D., a marine ecologist at the University of the West Indies, who will expand and strengthen sea turtle conservation in Barbados.
- Graham Robertson, Ph.D., an ornithologist and principal research scientist for Australia's Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program, who will develop alternative technology to save seabirds from becoming entangled in commercial fishing lines.
- Craig Smith, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii, who will design marine protected areas to protect fragile Pacific Ocean ecosystems from fishing and mining.
These five projects cover the fields of oceanic geology; engineering; environmental education; conservation of sea birds, mammals, and turtles; ecosystem management; database development, and ecotourism.
"I am delighted to welcome the newest Pew Marine Conservation Fellows into the ranks of the world's most distinguished marine conservationists," says Ellen Pikitch, executive director of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science, which houses the program. "The competition for these prestigious awards is intense, and the honor for each one is well-deserved."
BACKGROUND ABOUT THE PEW FELLOWS PROGRAM IN MARINE CONSERVATION
Pew Marine Conservation Fellows are chosen from diverse disciplines to address challenges in the ocean realm. Each Fellow receives $150,000 over three years to carry out innovative projects during this period. Over the past 14 years, fellowships have supported academic-based researchers and independent scientists, non-profit conservation professionals, environmental attorneys, economists, policy makers, environmental advocates, journalists, photographers, and others working on a wide variety of marine issues. These individuals are united in their focus on real-world applications. Their initiatives have important ramifications for creative marine conservation strategies, deployment of new technologies, broad dissemination of information, and the establishment of sustainable ocean policies at the regional, national, and international levels.
Past recipients of Pew Marine Conservation Fellowships include many of today's most important figures in marine conservation, such as:
The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation is a program of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science in partnership with the University of Miami. The Pew Institute for Ocean Science strives to undertake, sponsor, and promote world-class scientific activity aimed at protecting the world's oceans and the species that inhabit them. The Pew Fellows Program annually awards five fellowships of $150,000 each that contribute to advancing solutions to the oceans' most pressing problems. The program seeks to foster greater public understanding of the direct and crucial relationship between life in the sea and life on land. By supporting the ingenuity and leadership of its distinguished Fellows, the program calls awareness to the critical state of our oceans and demonstrates viable solutions to some of the world's most urgent conservation challenges. For more information, visit the website of the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation (http://www.pewmarine.org) or the Pew Institute (http://www.pewoceanscience.org).
Photographs, interviews with these fellows, and other related materials are also available.