Leonard J.V.
Compagno, Ph.D. – Director
Len is the world’s foremost expert on sharks. He earned his
Ph.D. at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, in 1979, and has authored
more than 100 publications on sharks, including books, chapters in
books, numerous scientific papers and a number of more popular works,
mostly on cartilaginous fishes. His books include (Catalog of world
sharks, Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations;
Sharks of the Order Carcharhiniformes, Princeton University Press;
Guide to sharks and rays of southern Africa, Struik). His Sharks
of the World, published simultaneously in the UK and USA is the
first ever field guide to sharks. He is also Director of Fishes
at the South African Museum in Cape Town where he currently resides.
Captain Stephen D. Nagiewicz Chairman – Board
of Trustees
Steve is a licensed professional ships Master and has 30 years
experience scuba diving the world’s oceans searching for
shipwrecks, and promoting shark and ocean conservation issues
as a writer, photographer and field researcher. He is a Fellow
of the Explorers Club and its former Executive Director, and
a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. Steve also managed
the Marine Sciences Laboratory at Sandy Hook, NJ. He currently
teaches high school Earth and Environmental Sciences.
D. W. Bennett – Board of Trustees
Dery joined the staff of the American Littoral Society (ALS) in
1968 as Conservation Director and became the Executive Director
in 1972. ALS, a membership organization whose goal is to encourage
the study and conservation of marine life and its habitat in
the coastal zone, is headquartered at Sandy Hook, NJ, with branch
offices in New York, Lambertville (New Jersey), Florida, and
Washington State.
William L. Bunting, Jr., Esq. – Legal
Counsel, Board of Trustees
Bill received his law degree from the University of Virginia and
is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association. He is currently
in private practice in Princeton, New Jersey.
Ben Fackler – Board of Trustees
Ben is an avid sportsman, traveler and conservationist. Having
spent a significant portion of his childhood outdoors in the
American South, he maintains a strong interest in understanding
and protecting nature on land and under water. Educated at Pomona
College (B.A., International Relations) and Harvard Law School
(J.D.), Ben is an investment banker based in New York.
Baron Jupp Kerckerinck zur Borg – Board
of Trustees
Born and raised in a castle in Germany, Jupp was educated in the
USA and Germany. After selling his advertising agency, he became
a race car driver for Fiat Abarth and Alfa Romeo. In 1977, he
moved to upstate New York where he started the first commercial
deer farm in North America: the Lucky Star Ranch. He hunted in
Africa, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the US and Canada but lost
interest in hunting when he began diving with sharks. Today he
photographs sharks throughout the world, and his lectures and
website www.sharkprotect.com continue to educate the public about
the need for shark conservation.
Dianna Sansotta – Board of Trustees
Dianna is a NY/NJ-based business owner. Before opening her businesses
she studied Marine Sciences at Nova Southeastern University and
continues studies in Environmental Science. Dianna volunteers
her time to educate visitors at Atlantic City Aquarium and Adventure
Aquarium about the importance of Shark Conservation. A PADI Divemaster,
she initiated the Dive and Dine Dive Shows at the Atlantic City
aquarium, hand feeding sharks and stingrays while giving informative
presentations.
John A. Scarlett, M.D. – Board of Trustees
John “Chip” Scarlett is an underwater still photographer
whose work has appeared in Ocean Realm, Nature’s Best Magazine,
Outside, Fathoms, Scuba Diver, Australasian Scuba Diver and has
been featured in several compendia of underwater images. He has
been exhibited at the British Underwater Image Festival in Birmingham,
Asian Dive Expo (ADEX) in Singapore, the Environmental Photography
Invitational gallery show in Seattle, and the Festival Mondial
de l’Image Sous Marine in Antibes, and currently has several
single artist exhibitions scheduled for 2007 – 2009. www.pbase.com/chipscar
Chip is also Chief Executive Officer of Tercica, Inc., a publicly-traded
biotechnology company. Chip and his wife and diving companion,
Susan, have homes in Austin, TX and Burlingame, CA.
Rob Stewart – Board of Trustees
Born in Toronto, Canada, Rob is an award-winning wildlife photographer
and the director of Sharkwater. Stewart began photographing underwater
when he was 13, and became a certified scuba instructor trainer
at age 18. He holds a BS degree in Biology from the University
of Western Ontario, and has studied Marine Biology and Zoology
at universities in Kenya and Jamaica. Rob spent four years traveling
the world as chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation
magazines, and has logged thousands of hours underwater, using
the latest in rebreather and camera technologies. His work underwater
and on land has appeared in nearly every media form worldwide
from BBC, Wildlife, Asian Diver, Outpost and GEO magazines to
the Discovery Channels, ABC, BBC, night clubs and feature films.
www.sharkwater.com
Al Vinjamur – Board of Trustees
Educated at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Computer Science
and Applied Mathematics, Al was the founder of a proprietary
quantitative trading group, a Limited Partner and Quantitative
Portfolio Manager at one of the biggest hedge funds in the world.
Al has been attracted to elasmobranchs since he was a child and
is a lover of nature, a diver, and a nature photographer. Al
is passionate about the conservation of sharks and feels that
conservation efforts have to be played out in the mainstream
media to really take effect - the seminal first step focused
on stopping "sensationalist" TV programming that portray
sharks as dangerous creatures. www.alvinjamur.com
Jerry Beaty – Advisory Board
Jerry Beaty is the Associate Publisher of Dive Training Magazine
www.dtmag.com
Tom Campbell – Advisory Board
Tom began his diving career in the cold water lakes and rivers
of Alberta and British Columbia. As a US Navy diver, Tom was
part of a select Force Recon unit that was assigned to Seal Team.
After discharge, he spent 20 years with the California Highway
Patrol and received numerous commendations for his service, including
one from President Reagan. And as a NAUI diving instructor, Tom
introduced hundreds of people to the ocean realm. Throughout
his professional years Tom was an avid photographer and filmmaker
shooting wildlife, both underwater and topside His photographs
have appeared in hundreds of popular publications worldwide,
and he completed assignments for a wide range of corporations
such as the BBC, Continental Airlines, National Geographic, Time
Life Books, New York and LA Times magazine. He has written dozens
of articles and won several photographic awards, including International
Wildlife's Annual Competition and recognition in the BBC's Wildlife
Photographer of the Year publication. Tom has been a featured
speaker internationally including Antibe, France and Norway at
the Antibe and Lofoton film festivals. His successful line of
notecards and posters, titled "It's Our World Too",
are marketed worldwide.. Recent assignments include shooting
Discovery's High-Definition film documentary on White Sharks
in South Africa, and Giant Mantas in Mexico. Tom's production
company and crew hosts a complete line of High-Definition equipment
Tom feels that the most important contribution any wildlife photographer
or filmmaker can make is: "To create an awareness that will
protect and preserve our environment for future generations." www.tomcampbell.com
Richard Ellis – Advisory Board
Recognized as one of America's
foremost painters of marine natural history subjects, Richard is
a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. His published books
include The Book of Sharks, The Book of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises,
Men and Whales, Great White Shark (with John E. McCosker and Al
Giddings), Physty: The True Story of a Young Whale's Rescue, Monsters
of the Sea, and Deep Atlantic: Life, Death, and Exploration in
the Abyss. He has published more than 80 articles in such magazines
as National Geographic, Audubon, and Geo, and he has led cruises
in such places as Alaska and Antarctica for the American Museum
of Natural History.
Amos Nachoum – Advisory Board
Amos has led National Geographic expedition teams with Dr. Eugenie
Clark, Dr. Sylvia Earle, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Dr. Alex
Antoniou, and has co-produced documentaries with Stan Waterman.
His photos and essays have appeared in more than 500 publications
in North America, Europe, and Japan, including National Geographic
magazine, Ocean Realm, Island, Outside, Rodale’s Scuba
Diving, Time, Life, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler,
Le Figaro, Terra Sauvage, Airone, and Mondo Somerso. Amos co-founded
Israel’s Marine National Park on the Red Sea. His cutting-edge
adventure-travel program BigAnimals.com provides divers with
opportunities to observe, photograph, and interact with the most
magnificent inhabitants of the sea: white sharks, orcas, dophins,
sailfish and blue, sperm and humpback whales. Only through observation
and interaction, Amos believes, can people learn to truly understand
and respect some of the most impressive citizens of our water
planet. www.biganimals.com
Marty Snyderman – Advisory Board
Marty is a still photographer, an Emmy-Award-winning cinematographer
and film producer, author, and speaker specializing in the marine
environment. His films have been shown on PBS, Discovery Channel
and his cinematograph has been used by Warner Brothers, National
Geographic Society, and the BBC. Marty's still photography and/or
writing has appeared in National Geographic Magazine, Skin Diver
Magazine, numerous National Wildlife Federation publications,
Natural History, Dive Training, Sport Diver, Time, Newsweek,
Time Life, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Sea
World and Seattle Aquarium. His books include Ocean Life: Discovering
the World Beneath the Sea, Guide to Marine Life: Caribean-Bahamas-Florida;
California Marine Life: An Identification and Field Guide to
Common Marine Species; and Shark: Endangered Predator of the
Sea. www.martysnyderman.com
Wyland – Advisory Board
Marine Life Artist Wyland has earned the distinction as one of
America’s most unique creative influences, and a leading
advocate for marine resource conservation. An accomplished painter,
sculptor, photographer, writer, and SCUBA diver, he has traveled
the farthest reaches of the globe for more than 25 years, capturing
the raw power and beauty of the undersea universe. www.wyland.com
Stan Waterman – President
Stan has been President of the Shark Research Institute since 1993.
A pioneer underwater film producer and photographer, he is the
winner of five Emmy Awards. Stan has been at the forefront of
scuba diving since its inception, and was named as Legend of
the Sea in 2007. He hosts dive tours to exotic destinations,
to which he brings a legacy of almost a half century of diving
and film making. In addition, he continues his work in film and
television productions and speaks to dive groups throughout the
world about the critical role of sharks in the marine ecosystem
and necessity for their protection. www.stanwaterman.com
Marie Levine – Executive Director
Marie is Founder and Executive Director of SRI. Under her stewardship
the organization expanded its membership to more than 8,000,
and has research / conservation projects in Canada, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, Honduras, India, Mexico, Mozambique, The Philippines,
Seychelles, South Africa, Taiwan, Tanzania, the UK and the USA.
In addition to papers for scientific journals and chapters in
books, she has authored two childrens’ books on sharks:
Sharks: Q&A (New Holland), and Great White Sharks (Weigl,
reprinted by Raintree Steck-Vaughn).
Kathy Rothschild -- CFO
Kathy learned to dive in 1987, saw her first shark shortly afterwards,
has been hooked ever since. In response to the tremendous growth
of the dive industry, she created Rothschild Dive Safaris and
developed dive travel programs to exotic destinations worldwide.
Kathy has dived all over the world and logged more than 1,000
dives. She was instrumental in opening up the Philippines, South
Africa, Malawi, and Jordan as dive destinations for the US market.
Kathy is strongly committed to the environment, and is a member
of the Women Divers’ Hall of Fame.
Alex Antoniou, Ph.D. – Director of
Field Operations
Alex has led SRI field expeditions and filmed whale sharks in the
Bay Islands (Honduras), Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), LaPaz (Mexico)
and Cocos Island (Costa Rica), and Thailand, conducting both
visual ID and satellite tagging of whale sharks. In October 1999,
his presentation of SRI’s work in Honduras and quantifying
the value of the species to the local economy directly resulted
in protection of whale sharks in Honduran waters. Alex is currently
engaged in a radio-telemetry study of hammerhead sharks in Costa
Rica, a joint project with PRETOMA.
Dean Fessler – Director of Education
Dean joined SRI in 1991, and began studying bull and Caribbean
reef sharks off the Bahamas, and sandtiger sharks off North Carolina.
In 1992, he relocated to San Diego to work with blue and mako
sharks, and studied hammerhead sharks and whale sharks in the
Sea of Cortez. In 1998, he moved to South Africa to study white
sharks where he worked with other scientists, underwater photographers
and documentary filmmakers. Dean is also a NAUI Divemaster and
a member of the Explorers Club.
Joel Shilliday, Online Development
Lewis Levine, M.D. – Global Shark Attack
File
As a teen, Lewis worked in a local dive shop, dived New Jersey
shipwrecks, and led dive expeditions to the Caribbean. An orthopedic
surgeon, his office is located in New Jersey. In 1990, Lewis
and four of his colleagues formed the Global Shark Attack File
(GSAF) for medical professionals. The GSAF, currently maintained
by SRI, provides the media with accurate data and is a conservation
tool to counteract the negative hype about shark accidents. www.sharkattackfile.net
Matthew Potenski – Field Researcher
Matt Potenski is currently completing his masters degree at Nova
Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center (Ft. Lauderdale,
FL). He has worked with southern stingray, Dasyatis Americana,
populations in Grand Cayman, BW, and studied lemon sharks, Negaprion
brevirostris, in both the Bahamas at the Bimini Biological Field
Station-Sharklab and the Marquesas Keys, FL As an SRI field researcher,
Matt has studied whale sharks in the Bay Islands (Honduras),
Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Cocos Island (Costa Rica), and Mafia
Island (Tanzania) - a joint project with the World Wildlife Fund.
He also has led SRI field expeditions and conducted both visual
ID and satellite transmitter tagging of whale sharks. An avid
photographer, Matt recently formed MDP Productions, Inc. as he
begins his career as a professional photographer. His work can
be seen in several publications, most recently in SRI patron
Sylvia Earle’s new book Defying Ocean’s End.
Jennifer V. Schmidt, Ph.D. – DNA study
As a Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton
University, Dr. Schmidt, along with Robert Phillips, Ph.D., Robin
Ernst and Greg O’Mullan, Ph.D. initiated SRI’s DNA
study. Jennifer, currently Associate Professor, Department of
Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, now heads
this study and has isolated genetic markers of whale sharks.
Brad Norman – Australia
Brad, Marie and Alex successfully lobbied for the Appendix II listing
of the whale shark at CITES in 2002. Shortly afterwards, Brad,
a marine biologist, together with SRI member Jason Holmberg and
NASA scientist Zaven Arzoumanian developed a photo-identification
program for whale sharks: Ecocean ( www.ecocean.org) for which
he won the Rolex Award of Enterprise. "I consider the whale
shark an icon species, a flagship for the marine environment
in general. Although vulnerable to extinction right now, as we
begin to identify and protect its critical habitats I believe
we can win the battle and ensure the future conservation of the
largest fish in the sea."
Commander Arun Patil – India
Arun earned a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master’s Degree
in Aeronautics, and retired from the Indian Naval Aviation after
21 years of service. He was the founder director of the National
Institute of Watersports from 1990 to 2003 and consultant to the
various state tourism departments of the Indian Union. In this
capacity, he developed the safety framework for watersports for
India.
Since 2000, Arun has directed SRI operations in India and conducted
a fact-finding survey of the then flourishing whale shark industry
off the Veraval coast in the state of Gujrat. After the ban on
whale shark hunting by the Indian Government, he undertook another
study evaluating the effectiveness of the ban and exploring alternate
livelihoods for those who had been previously engaged in the whale
shark fishing industry. Later, along with Suzy Quasnichka of SRI-UK,
he conducted a study off the Diu coast south of Veraval to explore
the possibility of establishing whale shark tourism. He also organizes
diving and logistic support for conservation projects in and around
India. Commander Patil’s administrative expertise is available
for any SRI conservation project anywhere in the world.
Suzy Quasnichka – South Africa, Western
Cape Province
Former Director of SRI UK (until she relocated to South Africa),
Suzy, a marine biologist, has worked with sharks in Australia,
Djibouti, India, Honduras, South Africa and Tanzania. While working
for SRI in Australia, she compiled a video catalogue of whale
sharks at Ningaloo Reef spanning 5 years, led field expeditions
onboard the Kairos to the northern Mozambique Channel, and contributed
images of more than 150 whale sharks to the Ecocean catalogue.
A world-class underwater filmmaker, Suzy is currently working
in Gansbaai, South Africa where she is conducting behavioral
research with white sharks along with Michael Rutzen.
www.sharkdivingunlimited.com
Debbie Smith – South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal
A PADI MSDT Instructor, Debbie has been instrumental in the complete
setting up of top dive centers at upmarket resorts — from
mapping and naming sites to full operational status — winning
top international awards. Founder of an ecotourism company “Diving
with sharks”, Debbie worked in the Seychelles in conjunction
with David Rowat, and is currently based at Aliwal Shoal, South
Africa, where she is co-running Africa Dive Expeditions, another
ecotourism company operating in conjunction with “Diving
with Sharks”. Both companies are involved in diving & shark
research along the east coast of South Africa. In 2007, Debbie
was inducted into Women Divers Hall of Fame for her contributions
to diving, education & shark field research.
David Rowat – Seychelles
David is also chairman of the Marine Conservation Society, Seychelles,
and initiated the Seychelles whale shark monitoring programme
in 1996 with the assistance of SRI South Africa. Since then,
he has collected data on hundreds of whale shark interactions,
deployed both passive ID and satellite various tags on whale
sharks, and submitted ID photographs of more than 50 whale sharks
to the Ecocean catalogue.
Scott Stevens – Taiwan
Scott received his MSc in Marine Resource Management from Heriot
Watt University in Edinburgh, UK, and has been working in fisheries
management in the South China Sea. He is currently studying migrations
of hammerhead sharks along the coast of China, and heads up SRI
in Taipei.
Connecticut — Guy Perrotta
Guy coordinates efforts for media outreach strategies and campaigns,
participates in SRI field research, and makes presentations on
shark conservation at various colleges and universities in New
England including Brown University, Yale University and Norwalk
Community College. He is also a two-time Emmy®-Award winning
producer and writer. Guy served as Co-Producer, Co-Writer and
Artistic Director for the PBS film Mystic Voices: The Story of
the Pequot War. He served as Director of Promotions and Special
Events and juror for various film festivals in the United States.
With Haverland Film/Video Productions, New York, Guy wrote, produced,
and directed educational works, including oral histories and
test pilots for proposed television series.
South Florida — Neil Hammerschlag,
Cassandra Clark, Sabrina Garcia &
Daniell Washington
South Florida — Neil Hammerschlag
Neil joined SRI when he was in high school, earned an undergraduate
degree in Ecology from the University of Toronto, Canada and
received his Masters degree in Marine Biology from the Nova Southeastern
University, Oceanographic Center. Neil is currently pursuing
a doctorate degree at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science. His research focuses on understanding the ecological
roles of marine predators, particularly sharks, as well as on
the community ecology of mangrove fishes. He is also directing
the South Florida Student Shark Program (SFSSP) with students
participating from South Broward High School (Broward, Florida),
MAST Academy High School (Miami, Florida), Palmer Trinity High
School (Miami, Florida) and the University of Miami (Miami, Florida).
www.neil4sharks.org
South Florida — Daniell Washinton
A South Florida native, Daniell is a senior at the University of
Miami with a double major in marine science and biology. She
has studied predator/prey relationship between white sharks and
cape fur seals at False Bay, South Africa, and participated in
a month-long marine science internship along the Pacific coast
in Washington at the Olympic National Park Natural Resources
lab. She is also assisting with the SFSSP and serving as the
co-president of the UM Marine Mammal Stranding Team. She intends
to pursue a Master’s degree in marine biodiversity and
conservation at the University of California San Diego, with
the goal of making a significant contribution to the preservation
of the ocean and all marine environments for future generations
to appreciate and enjoy.
South Florida — Cassandra Clark — Originally from
Port Tobacco, Maryland, Cassie grew up along the tributaries of
the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. During her senior year
in high school she took additional courses at the College of Southern
Maryland, including an introductory Marine Biology course. After
graduating in 2004, she enrolled at the University of Miami to
pursue a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Marine Science,
Biology, and Ecosystem Science and Policy, with a minor in History
and Classics. The summer after her freshmen year, she volunteered
at the Morganstate University Estuarine Research Center in Maryland,
assisting with field research and data collection on the eastern
oyster and blue crab. Since January 2006, she has been completing
an internship with the University of Miami’s NSF-NIEHS Oceans
and Human Health Center (within the Rosenstiel School’s Department
of Marine Biology and Fisheries), conducting research on toxic
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in South Florida coastal waters, and
field/diving research in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. In her
senior year at UM, she currently serves as the president of GreenpeaceUM,
and is a member and volunteer for multiple student and national
environmental organizations. After graduating, she plans to seek
a Master’s degree in marine/environmental science in tandem
with service in the PeaceCorp, ultimately pursuing a career that
will allow her combine scientific research and environmental conservation.
South Florida — Sabrina Garcia
Sabrina Garcia is a senior at the University of Miami where she
is studying Marine Science/Biology. A Miami native, she went
to high school at the Maritime and Science Technology (MAST)
Academy on Key Biscayne and gained field experience through internships
at NOAA. As a junior at UM, she began working with Neil Hammerschlag
and the SFSSP and gained hands-on experience with juvenile lemon
and bonnethead sharks. The sharks were netted, tagged, weighed,
measured, and underwent stomach eversions to analyze their stomach
contents. In the summer of 2007 she was a volunteer the Bimini
Biological Field Station (BBFS) working with Dr. Gruber and gill-netting
juvenile lemon sharks in the mangrove nurseries surrounding the
island and long-lined for sub-adult and adult tigers, lemons,
black-tips, and nurse sharks. During the spring 2008 semester,
Sabrina will be completing her studies at James Cook University
in Townsville, Australia. Afterwards, she will be working towards
a Master’s degree in fisheries biology with a conservation
and management concentration.
Texas — Mike Tichenor
Mike received a B.S degree in Biology from San Diego State University,
an MBA from Amberton University, attended the University of Oklahoma
College of Dentistry, and is currently working on an M.S. in
Statistics from Texas A&M University.
Mike’s interest is focused on population studies of the
whale shark, Rhincodon typus, and sand tiger shark, Carcharias
taurus, collection and classification of shark teeth (in particular
Carcharodon megalodon, and shark education. A retired PADI dive
instructor, Mike has participated in research expeditions to the
Bay Islands (Honduras), Mafia Island (Tanzania) and the Outer banks
of North Carolina.
Affliliations
American Littoral Society
Reef Watch Marine Conservation (India)
Shark Research Centre (South Africa)
Shark Alliance
Species Survival Network
National Institute of Watersports (India)
University of Guayaquil (Ecuador)
United Nations