Leading conservationist Professor Amanda Vincent tells a compelling story of blending research, management and policy to make change for ocean life, with the magical seahorses guiding our way.
About the speaker
Professor Amanda Vincent is a Canadian/British marine biologist and conservationist, and one of the world's leading experts on seahorses and their relatives.
She was the first person to study seahorses underwater, the first to document the extensive trade in these fishes and the first to initiate a seahorse conservation project, co-founding Project Seahorse in 1996, which she continues to direct.
Her team has been responsible for catalysing many new marine protected areas and her efforts drove a 2002 CITES decision to list all seahorses under international trade controls, creating a new instrument for marine conservation.
Amanda's current priority is phasing out bottom trawling – a highly destructive fishing practice she has called 'annihilation fishing' – working with fishers, policymakers and international bodies to end it fairly and equitably.
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the 2021 winner of the Indianapolis Prize, the world's top award for animal conservation – never before given to an ocean advocate.
Amanda is Professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia, and holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge.
Please note: The views of our speakers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society.
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