Erich Hoyt

Biography

Erich has worked for the conservation of whales and dolphins and marine protected areas (MPAs) in more than 40 countries over the past 30 years. Senior Research Fellow with WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Societyexternal link, Erich also directs the Far East Russia Orca Project (FEROP), which is doing pioneer research with Killer whalesexternal link in Kamchatka. In 2001, the project won the prestigious German Klüh Prize for Innovation in Science. Erich was recently appointed to a second term with the Cetacean Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commissionexternal link. He is also a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. His current work focuses on identifying cetacean critical habitat and establishing effective MPAs in national waters and on the high seas of the world ocean Erich has written 18 booksexternal link (14 for adults, 4 for kids) translated into 20 languages. He often presents lectures about marine ecotourism, MPAs and cetaceans, and has written scientific papers for journals, articles for National Geographic and the Sunday Times, and the odd film script. His books have won many awards; he has twice been named a James Thurber Writer-in-Residence, and was Vannevar Bush Fellow at MIT in 1985-86. A Canadian-American, Erich has lived in North Berwick, outside Edinburgh, since 1990, with his wife and four children. For more information on Erich's work, visit www.erichhoyt.comexternal link

Research Interest

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society