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2005 SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY AWARDS

• EDWARD T. LAROE III MEMORIAL AWARD
• DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

EDWARD T. LAROE III MEMORIAL AWARD

The Edward T. LaRoe III Memorial Award is given annually to an individual who has been a leader in translating principles of conservation biology into real-world conservation. Preference is given to individuals who have spent at least part of their career in public service.

Daniel Pauly

Daniel Pauly has been extremely effective in conveying the results of his research and their implications for management of fish stocks to fisheries managers and policy makers worldwide. Pauly is a true leader and innovator at the science-policy interface whose research and conservation efforts have been recognized widely. Pauly has a global perspective on fisheries issues as well as regional and local perspectives resulting from direct involvement with many fisheries. Although fisheries issues always have occupied all levels of the science-policy interface, marine and large freshwater fisheries issues are transboundary, and global climate change affects all of these components. Pauly understands the delicate nature of human and social factors surrounding science and policy, and his expertise and enthusiasm complement those perspectives. Most of Pauly's work is done cooperatively in various continents and island chains, many in the southern hemisphere. He is an effective partner in science and technical studies with both seasoned seniors and striving juniors. Pauly will receive his award at the 2005 annual meeting.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

Every year SCB presents its Distinguished Service Awards for outstanding contributions to conservation biology. Recipients are nominated by the SCB membership through the Awards Committee and are selected by the Board of Governors. These awards will be presented at the 2005 annual meeting.

Maria Elena Ibarra

For more than 40 years, Maria Elena Ibarra has been a major catalyst to conservation in Cuba. Director of the Center for Marine Research of the University of Havana, she is also the President of Cuba's largest conservation NGO, Pro-Naturaleza. She coordinated the national program for manatee conservation and helped establish the Punta del Este National Marine Park. Overcoming tremendous logistical obstactles, each year she takes more than 200 university students out of the classrooms and into the world of practical and complex field conservation to work on a turtle breeding project. The project has played a key role in fostering a new environmental ethic among young Cuban biologists.

Binod Chandra Choudhury

B.C. Choudhury, who heads the Wildlife Institute of India's Endangered Species Management Department, has mentored a generation of students. His study on Olive Ridley Sea Turtles changed the way the National Space Agency functions. When an Indian industry giant proposed an offshore drill directly in the turtle's migratory path, his work as a government expert resulted in keeping it at bay. His efforts led to moving the Gharials from "Endangered" to "Threatened" under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, to the discovery of the world's largest population of the endangered Sarus Crane, and to a court decision that a World Bank project would have to prevent damage to the Sarus habitats.

Richard Cowling

Richard Cowling's leadership of cutting-edge conservation planning and implementation programs (CAPE, SKEP, and STEP) in three of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots--the Cape Floristic Region, Succulent Karoo, and Subtropical Thicket of southern Africa--has shifted our paradigms about conserving ecosystems. These programs have set the global standard for participatory systematic conservation, and helped establish a globally significant network of formal and informal conservation areas to maximize persistence and diversification of biodiversity in the face of global change. Especially in the context of South Africa's new democracy and pressures for land reform, this is a breathtaking achievement.

Tropical Biology Association

For more than ten years, the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) has equipped recent graduates in practical tropical field training through partnerships with local institutions and has facilitated the work of conservation groups. It has funded the membership of young Africans in SCB, where some now serve on the Board of Directors of the Africa Section. Several experts, the majority working for international organizations in developing countries, and typically in Africa, are a result of the TBA innovative field courses that are next to none. Students and professionals from different countries share ideas and learn from each other's experiences through the TBA network.

David Ferguson

David Ferguson heads the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Branch of Near East, South Asia and Africa within the Division of International Conservation. He has been instrumental in identifying major conservation problems and instituting and obtaining support in this wide geographical expanse through the USFWS. Dave's work of 27 years has taken him to 29 countries with varied cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Country and culture notwithstanding Dave always has been able to achieve major conservation successes through collaboration, friendship, and absolute professionalism. His humility, hard work, and vision have inspired many generations of scientists and bureaucrats the world over.

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