Keynote Speakers

We are pleased to announce details of three Keynote Speakers for ISTS42:

Reflections from a Sea Turtle Lifer

Jeff Seminoff has been involved with sea turtle research and conservation throughout Latin America and the U.S. for the last three decades. A field biologist at heart, Jeff’s recent endeavors include studying the loggerheads and green turtles of California as well as working with artisanal fishers of Mexico to promote bycatch solutions. Jeff leads the marine turtle ecology program at NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center in San Diego, U.S., where he frequently mentors students and interns to build their skills, while working on his own writing projects when time permits. He is chief editor for the journal Chelonian Conservation and Biology and a U.S. Representative for the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles. As an ISTS Past-President (2011-San Diego), he continues to cherish his participation in the Annual Symposia and looks forward to sharing perspectives on the ISTS and evolution of sea turtle science during his talk. Jeff’s wife Jennifer, daughter Quin, and son Graeson enjoy sharing meals and laughter whenever possible, often while being watched by their two pugs, Arlo and Boo.

Sea turtle conservation in Southeast Asia: A tale of two beaches, and some of those in between

Since joining the academia in 2005, Jarina's work has concentrated on the human dimensions of biodiversity conservation and natural resource management to support sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystem management and sustainable development through research and project activities. She has experience and ongoing research interests in Ecosystems Management and Sustainable Livelihoods in Protected Areas, focusing on human ecology, biodiversity conservation, and societal benefits. Her main role is to promote and assist in the integration of human dimensions into biodiversity and environmental research, towards establishing a strong community of human-ecologists in Malaysia. Education: B.A. Hons in Social and Economic Administration (Tours, France), M.Env Management (UKM, Malaysia), PhD Human Geography (Edinburgh, UK).

The brighter horizon: balancing human needs and ecosystem health in marine conservation

Kartik was inspired to a career in ecology by an ancient reptile, a sea turtle that crawled ashore late one night in Madras. As faculty at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, he works on the ecology, behaviour and evolution of frogs, reptiles, birds, plants and marine fauna. He has established long term research programmes on different species of sea turtles and has recently initiated research on sharks and rays of the Indian coast. Kartik is a founding trustee of Dakshin Foundation, where he oversees work on marine flagships and community wellbeing, and a founding editor of the magazine, Current Conservation. He is the author of the book From Soup to Superstar, a historical account of sea turtle conservation in India. In his spare time, he seeks to distract young minds from more serious pursuits with books such as Turtle Story, The Adventures of Philautus Frog, Moonlight in the Sea, and Lori’s Magical Mystery.