In Memoriam (2023)

 

Since the publication of SWOT Report, vol. XVII, in June 2022, the sea turtle community has lost many beloved members of our community, including those memorialized in these pages, and certainly many more whose roles may have gone unnoticed or whose work may be forgotten, but whose legacies remain. Thanks to all the sea turtle researchers, conservationists, and enthusiasts who are no longer with us and to all those who have dedicated their lives to helping ensure that future generations can experience and enjoy sea turtles in healthy oceans.

Andreas Demetropoulos (1938–2022)

Head of the Cyprus Wildlife Society, Andreas led a lifetime of important sea turtle research and conservation work. For more than three decades, he headed the Cyprus Fisheries Department, where he was dedicated to sustainable development, fisheries, and aquaculture. He was responsible for a law enacted in 1971 to protect sea turtles. Then, he went on to launch a conservation program for loggerhead and green turtles in an area that was later named a turtle reserve in 1989, the Lara-Toxeftra Turtle Reserve. In his illustrious career, Andreas served as a member of the Marine Turtle Specialist Group and as a wildlife protection consultant to numerous agencies, and he was listed in the Global 500 Roll of Honour in 1988. Described as “a truly outstanding scientist and man,” Andreas leaves behind a powerful legacy for future generations. He was a mentor, friend, and inspiration to many, and his wisdom, humor, realism, and determined spirit helped him to surpass obstacles to ensure a brighter future for sea turtles in the Mediterranean.

Michael Donoghue (1949–2022)

A tireless champion for marine species, Mike worked first as a fisherman, then for the government of New Zealand, where he focused on marine mammal policy. Later, at the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, he worked for the benefit of all migratory species, including sea turtles. He led Conservation International in Samoa and was active for decades with the International Whaling Commission. Mike’s knowledge of the Pacific, along with his political savvy, charm, and powers of persuasion, brought people together for the good of wildlife. His accomplishments are many and include helping stop live dolphin exports, the 1978 banning of whale hunting by the king of Tonga, and much more. Mike was deeply respected, widely liked, and always fun; his warmth, smile, and easy laugh came with an often deliciously wicked sense of humor. His kindness knew no bounds, and many conservationists owe their success to his advice and sheer generosity of spirit. The blue Pacific has lost a great advocate, scientist, and friend.

Marcel Collet Gorges (1957–2022)

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Marcel spent his entire life passionately committed to wildlife and nature conservation from Kisangani to Moanda, the Garamba National Park, and Kinshasa and, at the time of his death, as director of the Parc Marin des Mangroves. He loved and studied snakes, and ultimately he became a globally recognized expert. Marcel had an extraordinary talent for communicating with people, from children to tourists, academics, and policymakers, and for sharing his vision and convictions for the future of biodiversity. He stood firmly in defense of the environment and the importance of protected areas. His commitment to preventing poaching and other activities that violate the integrity of Congolese nature and national parks was total, even when this stance was unpopular. He launched and led an exceptional effort for sea turtle nest protection on the DRC coast that ultimately saved countless turtles from falling into the hands of poachers. His life in the service of the Congo and our common future was admirable.

Bill Puleloa (1943–2022)

Bill was an aquatic biologist and an advocate for Native Hawaiian rights and traditional practices, having learned about his heritage from his maternal grandmother. He mentored dozens of young scientists, and he won the Mālama Kuleana Honua Award in 2012 for his lifetime of service and dedication to nature. Bill and his wife of 51 years, Linda, moved to the Marshall Islands in the 1970s, where their three children were born. While serving as director of fisheries there, he traveled throughout Asia and Oceania. Japan was a favorite, and he had many fond memories of visits to remote atolls in Micronesia, riding elephants in Cambodia, visiting rice paddies in Vietnam, and seeing relatives in Macao. Bill possessed true pono spirit and a heartfelt love of his people. “All humans are part of a shared resource,” Puleloa said. “Our actions here on Hawaii—on Molokai even—do have an effect in other parts of the world. … The more we respect our resources, the more special they become.”

Jim Stevenson (1933–2022)

A devoted lover of nature, Jim was a lifelong birder and photographer and he had a deep and abiding commitment to saving sea turtles. For three decades, he was part of the University of Central Florida’s team monitoring the beaches of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, one of the greatest sea turtle conservation success stories in history. Attendees of the International Sea Turtle Symposia (ISTS) since the beginning, Jim and his friend of 42 years, Janet Hochella—the “J&J Turtle Team”—together won the ISTS Ed Drane Award for Volunteerism for their service aiding turtle projects from Topsail, North Carolina, south to Melbourne, Florida. In his youth, Jim was an avid hunter and fisher, and he served with the U.S. Navy, circumnavigating the globe on the USS Heermann from 1953 to 1957. He will be remembered for his boundless energy, enthusiasm, and inquisitiveness; for his love of sea turtles and commitment to nature conservation; and for his easy-going smile and steady hand at the tiller.


Ricardo F. Tapilatu (1966–2022)

A talented marine scientist, Ricky dedicated much of his life to sea turtles. He was a PhD graduate of the University of Alabama, a Pew Scholar, and a Marine Turtle Specialist Group vice chair. As a professor at the University of Papua Indonesia, he spent decades engaged in efforts to protect the western Pacific leatherback, helping to document the long-term decline of this species and monitor its main nesting beaches. Ricky and his team studied incubation temperatures, hatching success, and sex ratios, and they modeled climate change impacts. He also built a local outreach and education program to engage community members in the work. A friend said of Ricky, “He had a childlike passion for protecting Papua’s wonderful nature and a deep sense of adventure; he embraced ‘carpe diem’ with openness to new experiences and opinions and had the authority of a true leader. His crews at the leatherback beaches in Jamursba Medi and Wermon, true conservation heroes in their own right, all agree that sea turtles lost a major conservation warrior.”

 
SWOT Report vol. 18Ashleigh Bandimere