|
I am sad to report the loss of a colleague and friend whose professional life has touched the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program in many ways over more than four decades.
The field of marine mammal science, conservation, and education has lost one its finest members with the passing of John Reynolds on 23 December 2017. John was an extraordinary scientist, conservationist, and mentor, who changed the world for the better through his  untiring efforts as the long-time Chairman of the Marine Mammal Commission, his IUCN sirenian leadership, as one of the strongest proponents for manatee conservation, his extensive and first-rate scientific research and writings, and his teaching of hundreds of students, many of whom have carried his training forward to leverage expanded conservation benefits worldwide.
My history with John goes back 42 years -- over the decades I had the opportunity to work with him in a variety of contexts. I first worked with John in 1975 in coastal Louisiana, on a project to test designs for aerial surveys for bottlenose dolphins, along with Michael Scott, Dan Odell, Steve Leatherwood, and Jim Gilbert. We co-taught the Duke University Summer Marine Mammal course for a number of years. We co-wrote two books,
The Bottlenose Dolphin: Biology and Conservation
, and Dolphins, Whales, and Manatees of Florida: A Guide to Sharing Their World. In my role as Center Director, I had the good fortune to be able to bring John to Mote Marine Laboratory in 2000, where he was able to flourish upon shedding the day-to-day obligations of academia. John was truly an inspiration, not just by being the hardest-working scientist I have ever met, but especially for his ability to engage with students, colleagues, and the public and share his sincere dedication to quality science and conservation efforts that would make a difference.
I miss him tremendously.
Randy Wells
|
