Amanda Vincent


Amanda Vincent is a Canadian marine biologist and conservationist, one of the world's leading experts on seahorses and their relatives. She currently holds the Chair of the IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group and is the marine representative on the IUCN’s International Red List Committee as well as being the Chair of its Marine Conservation Subcommittee. She previously held the Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at The University of British Columbia, Canada from 2002 to 2012. Vincent co-founded and directs Project Seahorse, an interdisciplinary and international organisation committed to conservation and sustainable use of the world's coastal marine ecosystems. In 2020 she became the first marine conservationist to win the world's leading prize for animal conservation, the Indianapolis Prize.

Education

Vincent received a B.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, England. She was a visiting fellow in Sweden and Germany and a senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, England. She was a faculty member at McGill University from 1996–2002. She held the Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation at the Fisheries Centre at The University of British Columbia, Canada. She is currently Full Professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, UBC.

Project Seahorse

In 1996, Vincent co-founded and still directs Project Seahorse - a marine conservation organization based at UBC, Canada, and Zoological Society of London, UK. Project Seahorse generates cutting-edge research and uses it for highly effective conservation interventions in fisheries, protected areas, trade and policy. Project Seahorse collaborates with researchers, governments, conservation groups, industry and local communities worldwide to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the world's coastal marine ecosystems.

Research

Vincent has written many scientific papers, technical reports, popular articles and policy briefings. She published the first monograph on the international trade in seahorses in 1996 and then co-authored a book on seahorse identification in 1999. Her work has been documented in five full-length television programmes, and other media coverage globally. Her background includes extensive rough travel through more than 60 countries.
Her research interests include:
Vincent was the first person to study seahorses underwater, the first to document the extensive trade in these fishes, and the first to initiate a seahorse conservation project. Her work has received many awards and commendations. Vincent is consulted on marine management and policy issues.  She is Chair of the . She is the marine representative on the IUCN’s International Red List Committee and is the Chair of its . From 2000-2004, she chaired the Syngnathid Working Group for the 182-nation Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species. Project Seahorse played a pivotal role in the landmark CITES decision to begin regulating international trade in marine fishes.  In addition, Vincent has held special responsibility for coastal species as a member of the Steering Committee of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Selected publications