In Memoriam (2025)
Ali bin Amer Al-Kiyumi (1967–2024)
Ali Al-Kiyumi, affectionately known as “Mr. Turtle,” was a passionate advocate for sea turtle conservation in Oman. He did turtle surveys at Masirah Island and Ras al Hadd, some of the most important loggerhead and green turtle nesting areas in the region. Ali joined Oman’s Ministry of Environment in the early 1990s, eventually becoming director general of nature conservation. He played a key role in managing tourism at Ras al Hadd, and helped establish the Ras al Jinz Centre. His international roles included chair of the CMS IOSEA MOU Advisory Committee and regional vice chair for the IUCN MTSG. He was a kind, personable man who will be greatly missed.
Barbara Allen Bell (1973–2025)
Barbara Allen Bell was a passionate sea turtle biologist, artist, gardener, advocate for the disabled, and gifted illustrator and musician. As a Drexel University researcher at Playa Grande, Costa Rica, she led experiments that revealed high egg mortality as the cause of low leatherback reproductive success, reshaping scientific perspectives on egg development in leatherbacks. She later applied these insights to study oil pollution's impact on snapping turtles, emphasizing the importance of legacy pollution cleanup. She was a creative and artistic designer who designed the logo for the 2001 Sea Turtle Symposium. Known for her warmth, humor, and compassion, Barb was a beloved colleague and friend to the sea turtle community.
Albert Hugh Errol Harris (1938–2020)
Errol moved to Dominica as a toddler, developing a deep love for nature and animals. Known as “Big Bunda” or “Tarzan” to his friends, he was a keen huntsman, but he also fed birds and cared for animals with his many siblings at a tree house he built by the Demitrie River. A top student at the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, he worked as an agricultural instructor, riding his motorcycle across the island to assist farmers. He founded Ridge View Farms and raised various livestock. In retirement, Errol remained active in conservation, working with many local organizations, and he served as WIDECAST county coordinator for several years.
Wallace J. Nichols (1967–2024)
A biologist, writer, and lecturer, “J” is best known for his 2014 bestseller Blue Mind, which explores the therapeutic benefits of water. He played a role in Mexican sea turtle recovery, and he satellite tracked the first loggerhead turtle to cross the Pacific. He was president of the ISTS in 2008 (Loreto, Mexico), and was passionate about community engagement, ecotourism, and conservation. He cofounded the Grupo Tortuguero and Ocean Revolution, and is known for building connections and movements. J’s legacy touched fishers, activists, and scientists alike. He loved his sea turtle family, and he coined the phrase “sea turtle men hug” to capture the deep bonds of friendship we share.
Eric Angel Ramos (1987–2024)
Eric was a passionate marine scientist whose curiosity knew no bounds. He loved nature, family, rescue dogs, and his colleagues in research and conservation and had an unceasing drive to unravel ocean mysteries—whether studying dolphin foraging, employing drones to see manatee movements, or using e-DNA to track sea turtles. Eric was an engaging and eloquent writer and speaker, published nearly 50 academic papers, and captivated audiences with his energy and broad smile. Though best known as a “dolphin guy,” he grew into a renaissance megafauna maven, working with manatees, sea turtles, and more. From his start at Turneffe Atoll in Belize, Eric’s impact reached throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, and beyond.
Carleton Ray (1928–2023)
Carleton was a pioneering advocate for ocean protection and helped establish the first marine park in the Bahamas at Exuma Cays in 1958. He deeply influenced the global ocean conservation movement through his example, and called for setting aside the Caribbean’s richest areas as reproductive centers for ocean wildlife. His writings, including Wonders of the Living Sea (1963), and articles in Ranger Rick and National Geographic, inspired many. In the 1970s, he strongly opposed international trade in sea turtle products, championing a holistic vision of ocean conservation. His legacy endures through the progress made in marine protection and the better future he helped create for sea turtles and the seas.
Seu Ulisses Santana Santos (1951–2024)
Seu Ulisses was a joyful presence in Brazil’s Tamar turtle conservation effort. An artist and community leader, he inspired locals to value sea turtles through art and tradition. He crafted decorative turtles and revived the creation of carnival masks called caretas made from coconut and paper machê. At Tamar, he taught children to make caretinhas for village parades and plays. Known as the master of careteiro from Praia do Forte, he made a lasting impact on sea turtle conservation through creativity and education. Seu Ulisses will long be remembered, and his legacy continues through his son Kiko, who teaches eco-friendly fishing and surfing as part of the Tamarzinhos environmental program.
Wendy Teas (1966–2024)
Wendy was a dedicated conservationist known for her kindness and passion for wildlife. As national coordinator for the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network for three decades, she nurtured the network and guided efforts to document sea turtle strandings, transport injured turtles, and educate the public. At NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center, she contributed to sea turtle research and assisted with conservation efforts for mammals, seabirds, and crocodiles. Wendy was admired for her ethical nature and willingness to help both animals and people. Her legacy of compassion lives on through her final wishes: to plant trees and perform random acts of kindness. She will be dearly missed by our community.
Anton “Tony” Tucker (1957–2025)
Tony began his turtle conservation career in 1979 as a “Turtle Boy” in Georgia (U.S.A.), and went on to work across Australia, the U.S., Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, Oman, and Cuba with all seven marine turtle species. A long-standing IUCN MTSG member, he led pioneering research on loggerhead nesting ecology and migrations at Mote Marine Laboratory. In 2012 he joined the North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program in Perth, Australia, where he built strong and lasting partnerships with Traditional Custodians around sea turtle conservation. A prolific researcher and mentor, Tony inspired many, and his legacy lives on through his contributions and the lives he touched around the world.
This article originally appeared in SWOT Report, vol. 20 (2025). Download this entire article as a PDF.