Conservation Vol. 1

Dr. Tim Tinker is a Research Wildlife Biologist with the Western Ecological Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, and an adjunct Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz. Dr. Tinker is the project leader for Federal research on sea otters in California, and currently heads a multi-agency study investigating the factors limiting the recovery of this threatened sub-species.

George W. Benz is a Professor of Biology at Middle Tennessee State University. A native of New England, George earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Connecticut and was employed for 5 years as a Fisheries Biologist with the Connecticut Bureau of Fisheries. He has authored and edited over 100 scientific publications and his research has been the focus of articles in Discover, National Geographic, and Highlights for Children as well as other magazines and popular books.

Eric Zahn, a local salt marsh ecologist and avid botanist, is a co-principal for ‘Tidal Influence' a company he founded to aid community groups and municipalities with their wetlands restoration efforts. Zahn is a lecturer in the Environmental Science and Policy Program at CSULB who has been one of the leaders focused on conserving coastal wetlands in Long Beach.

Dr. Barbara Taylor is a Supervisory Research Fish Biologist with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. She was the U.S. lead scientist on a tri-nation 2008 expedition designed to develop new acoustic monitoring methods and population estimates intended to assist Mexico in conservation efforts to save the vaquita. Taylor has been researching marine mammals for over 30 years.

Since 1998 Jeffrey Gallant and Dr. Chris Harvey-Clark, Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG) shark researchers, have pursued a mythical creature-the Greenland shark. These researchers use a multimedia presentation to tell the story of how two diving scientists searched for and ultimately found a population of Greenland sharks. Dr. Chris Harvey-Clark is the director of Geerg‘s Pacific region and director of the animal care center at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Jeffrey Graham is a research physiologist and senior lecturer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. His research has expanded from studies on the physiological and biological perspectives of sharks to include shark ecology and habitat research. In 2006, the Southern California Bight Elasmobranch Consortium was created and headquartered in his laboratory. Dr. Graham holds a PhD from the University of California San Diego, Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

Russ Parsons is the food editor and columnist of the Los Angeles Times. He has been writing about food for 25 years, including almost 20 years at The Times. He is the author of the cookbooks ‘‘How to Read a French Fry’’ and “How to Pick a Peach.” Parsons has won every major American food journalism award, including those from the International Association of Culinary Professionals the Association of Food Journalists, the James Beard Foundation, and the University of Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards.

Dr. Gregor Cailliet received a doctorate in Biological Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1972. That same year, he became a faculty member at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and has been there ever since. Dr. Cailliet presently serves as the Program Director of the Pacific Shark Research Center. He has served as an advisor to 100 masters students in the field of marine fish ecology and has also been very active in central California reserves or sanctuaries.

Chris Lowe has been studying sharks for over 20 years and currently runs the Shark Lab at CSULB where he was recently awarded Professor of the Year. Dr. Lowe’s research interests include the physiological and behavioral ecology of elasmobranchs and other gamefishes, as well as the role of marine refuges in fisheries conservation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marine biology at Barrington College. He went on to get his masters in biology at CSULB. And he holds a PhD in zoology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

As president of The Chronicles Group, Thebaut is dedicated to providing visual and education records for the general viewing public about profound issues facing the 21st century. Throughout his career, Thebaut has written, produced, and directed an array of prominent socially significant productions. His mission is for all people to have access to safe, affordable and sustainable drinking water and adequate sanitation in an attempt to save lives now. Thebaut is currently at work on a new film about the water crisis in South Africa titled “Running Dry – South Africa.”

The Aquarium of the Pacific is pleased to announce Brent Maxwell Ward as its 10th Anniversary Scholar in May for his efforts in marine science and conservation. Ward has shown a strong interest in marine biology and conservation. He studied ocean life and the tides during the summer in a NAACP sailing program. There, he learned to work with shipmates of all backgrounds. He has also volunteered at beach clean-ups at Colorado Lagoon. His interest in water extends to his participation in water polo and on the swim team. Maxwell wishes to study biology in college, and become an anesthesiologist.

Jesse Ausubel is a Program Director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Director of the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University in New York City. During the past decade he helped launch and lead three major international scientific programs in biodiversity science: the Census of Marine Life, the Barcode of Life Initiative, and the Encyclopedia of Life. Ausubel was a main organizer of the first UN World Climate Conference (Geneva, 1979), which substantially elevated global warming on scientific and political agendas.

Roger McManus has extensive experience and a strong record of accomplishment in marine conservation policy and non-government conservation management. He built the U.S. Center for Marine Conservation (currently named The Ocean Conservancy), into the largest NGO in the world devoted to marine conservation. Mr. McManus has served in several U.S. Administrations, including with the Clinton Administration, as the Ocean Advisor to the Office of the Secretary in the Department of the Interior. Mr. McManus is Conservation International’s Vice President for the Marine Programs Division.

William W. Fox, Jr., Ph.D., was born in San Diego, California, and was educated in oceanography, marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami (FL) and University of Washington. The early half of his career was spent as a research scientist and science manager with the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2008, Dr. Fox joined the World Wildlife Fund U.S. (WWF-US) as Vice President and Managing Director for Fisheries. Dr. Fox has authored or co-authored over 60 scientific publications.

William Deverell is Director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, and Professor of History at USC. He earned his undergraduate degree in American Studies from Stanford and his M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from Princeton. Prior to coming to USC, Professor Deverell taught at the California Institute on Technology and the University of California, San Diego. Professor Deverell is the author of numerous studies on the 19th and 20th century American West.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is pleased to announce Chansopary Karen Soum as its March 10th Anniversary Scholar. Chansopary is active in helping out members of the local community who are homeless and hungry. She works as a volunteer at the Thanksgiving banquet at Ernest McBride Park every year, and contributes to feeding individuals and families who are less fortunate. Chansopary also helps to pass out food at the United Cambodian Community twice a month. Her level of personal caring and compassion is clear, and she even helps orphans in Cambodia by raising money at car washes and teaching Cambodian seniors to speak English. She helps preserve and celebrate cultures with her involvement with the Cambodian community and her participation in Polynesian dancing.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is pleased to announce Brendon Thompson as its January 10th Anniversary Scholar for his excellence in community service. A student at Bethany Christian Elementary School, Thompson has shown an outstanding understanding of, respect for, and stewardship of the ocean through his involvement in the Long Beach Pier Clean Up. In addition, he has worked to bring awareness of cancer and helped to raise money for research, education, and patient services by participating in the 10K American Cancer Society Walk. He also actively works to support and encourage cultural diversity.

Dr. Carl Safina brought ocean conservation into the environmental mainstream. His hundred-plus publications and award-winning books include "Song for the Blue Ocean and Voyage of the Turtle." He’s been profiled by the New York Times, Nightline, and Bill Moyers. His awards include a Pew Fellowship, Lannan Literary Award, John Burroughs Medal, and a MacArthur Prize, among others.

Dr. Julie Hagelin’s research has shown that in addition to their senses of sight and sound, some birds also use a sense of smell to communicate with others and to attract mates. She explains how studies of Crested Auklets at the Aquarium of the Pacific and at a breeding site in western Alaska have led her to say: “The bird nose knows”. Dr Hagelin is an assistant professor at Swarthmore College where she teaches classes in animal behavior, behavioral ecology, and general biology.

Tim Brick is chairman of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, representing the City of Pasadena on that board since 1985. Brick played an important role in the development of MWD’s World Water Forum program, which provides grants to Southern California colleges for educational efforts addressing world water problems. Brick graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and has pursued further studies in broadcast journalism and resource economics.

Richard Ellis is one of America's leading marine conservationists, and is generally recognized as the foremost painter of marine natural history subjects in the world. His paintings of whales and sharks have appeared in Audubon, National Wildlife, Australian Geographic, the Encyclopedia Britannica,Sports Afield, and Reader's Digest among many others. In addition to painting, Mr. Ellis is the author of more than eighty magazine articles. In 2008, he published Tuna: A Love Story, and in 2009, On Thin Ice: The Polar Bear and Global Warming. His books have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, and Korean. He is currently serving as co-curator of Mythic Creatures for the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

For more than three decades, Peter Howorth has been involved in numerous nonprofit environmental organizations. He was president of the Santa Barbara Underseas Foundation, an organization devoted to education, conservation, and research involving the sea. He was a founding director and president of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park. Howorth has also been involved in numerous research projects with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. He has the distinction of being their first staff associate. Since 1975, Howorth has been a member of the Shark Research Committee, which studies shark attacks on humans worldwide. Howorth's work with marine mammals earned him both state and federal Senatorial Commendations. His work has been featured in numerous television documentaries, ranging from Cousteau's "Rediscovery of the World" to Tom Brokaw's Nightly News.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service. Juan Lopez, has not only made outstanding achievements in the field of computer systems and information technology, but has also donated coutless hours of service to the Aquarium, his school and the community. Lopez has repaired countless computers for the Soledad Enrichment Charter School and the Bikes 90800 Program, and has taught a 3D computer aided design course. He has also shown tremendous dedication for the Aquarium through his leadership of fellow student volunteers at numerous cultural festivals.

E'Mon White, who attends Long Beach Renaissance High School for the Arts, has demonstrated an outstanding academic record, winning numerous honors for her achievements. She plays an active role in the student council and school clubs. Her community service includes work as a volunteer at the Veterans Administration Hospital and as a Youth President at Long Beach NAACP. In addition, she performs in plays, shows, competitions, and has taken a leadership role in dance and drama clubs. White plans to attend California State University, Long Beach to pursue a career as a teacher. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service. Simmie Sims, who attends Long Beach Renaissance High School, has demonstrated outstanding service in the community through his involvement in youth groups, his school, and his church. He has used his talents as a singer, dancer, writer, director, and actor to create a multi-ethnic dance group at school that brings students of various ethnic backgrounds together to promote cultural interaction. He also works as a volunteer with first and second graders, with the Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach, and at the American Cancer Society.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service. Eagan is an eleven-year old honor student who has shown dedicated service to the local and global community as well as in inspiring conservation of the planet.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Aquarium is honoring Long Beach students who have shown outstanding efforts in the areas of science, environment, ocean science/marine biology, promoting cultural diversity, and exceptional community service. Arellano is an eleven-year old outstanding student who is a NAACP Youth Scholar that has been recognized for exemplary work in community service.

Desray Reeb, Ph.D., is what is commonly called a whale hugger. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where her research included studies of pygmy right whales, mike, humpback, and both northern and southern right whales. More recently she has participated in studies of the northern Pacific right whale in the Bering Sea and sperm whales and other cetaceans in the Gulf of California.

Carl Palazzolo, DVM, likes large animals as evidenced by his experiences caring for a 300 pound Siberian tiger. He has traveled the world to work on the conservation of endangered species such as black rhinos in Zimbabwe, Africa and the critically endangered orangutans of Borneo. De Palazzolo shares his experiences with the orangutans and the adventures he has had working to save other endangered species.

Robert Gottlieb is a Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College in Los Angeles. He is a writer, educator, and activist who has been described as a "pioneer in redefining environmentalism, turning ideas into action, and forging coalitions in the often murky atmosphere of Los Angeles". The author of "Reinventing Los Angeles", he believes that LA can become a more livable and sustainable city.

Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California at Irvine, Francisco J. Ayala, states while although it is desirable to improve the human condition, there are issues surrounding the human genome. There also is an ongoing conflict between science and religion, but Ayala attempts to explain that these two viewpoints can coexist and are simply different dimensions of the world.

Francisco J. Ayala, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California at Irvine, shares how evolution shows us the history of life through time and how natural selection is the mechanism by which change in organism occur. Ayala also covers ways to improve awareness of the current ecological crisis our world faces, and ways to preserve the environment and biological diversity.

Are you seafood savvy? Do you know what fish are good for you, which are sustainably fished and which are overfished? Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret), Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, talks about FishWatch. This new program of NOAA’s Office of Fisheries presents up-to-date scientific data and is designed to help the public make intelligent, informed decisions about the fish they select to consume.

There are rescue animals, or animals that would not be able to survive in the wild, that reside at the Aquarium of the Pacific, including sea otters, sea lions, and other marine creatures. One of those is a recent addition to the Aquarium family, a sea lion named Odin. Despite the fact that Odin is nearly blind, he has acclimated to his new home quite nicely.

Herman Karl, a marine geologist and former chief scientist with the US Geologic Survey's Western Coastal and Marine Geology Program, and co-director of MUSIC—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—USGS Science Impact Collaborative, discusses "wicked environmental problems."