Mark Erdmann, Ph.D.
Vice President, Marine, Asia-Pacific Field Division
Dr. Mark Erdmann is the Vice President of Conservation International’s Asia-Pacific marine programs, tasked with providing strategic guidance and technical and fundraising support to focal marine programs in Conservation International’s Asia Pacific Field Division, including especially the Bird’s Head Seascape and Pacific Oceanscape initiatives, as well as marine programs in China, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Samoa and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI). He is also the Director of CI New Zealand.
Mark is a coral reef ecologist (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley) who is now based in New Zealand, though he previously lived and worked in Indonesia for 23 years. During his time there he launched and directed the Bird’s Head Seascape initiative for over a decade, developing it into one of Conservation International's flagship marine programs globally. Mark is an avid diver and has logged over 12,000 scuba dives while surveying marine biodiversity throughout the region, discovering and describing over 170 new species of reef fish and mantis shrimp in the process.
He has published 214 scientific articles and five books, including most recently the three-volume set “Reef Fishes of the East Indies” with colleague Dr. Gerald Allen, and has been a scientific advisor to numerous natural history documentary films for the BBC, National Geographic and NHK. Erdmann was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation in 2004 for his work in marine conservation education and training for Indonesian schoolchildren, members of the press, and the law enforcement community. Though his work is now largely focused on the management of marine protected areas, his continuing research interests include reef fish and mantis shrimp biodiversity, satellite and acoustic telemetry of endangered elasmobranch species, and genetic connectivity in MPA networks.
In recent years Mark has devoted significant time to supporting the Indonesian government in its efforts to improve conservation and management of its sharks and rays, including the designation of the world’s largest manta ray sanctuary in 2014. Mark maintains a research associate position with the California Academy of Sciences, supervises several Master’s and PhD students at the University of Auckland, and is active on the boards of a number of NGOs working in the Coral Triangle, including Thrive Conservation and Manta Trust. Mark and his wife Arnaz and three children (Mica, Brahm and Cruz) live in Auckland, where he maintains a deep personal commitment to do whatever is necessary to ensure his children will be able to enjoy the same high-quality underwater experiences that continue to provide the inspiration for his dedication to the marine environment.
Dr. Mark Erdmann is the Vice President of Conservation International’s Asia-Pacific marine programs, tasked with providing strategic guidance and technical and fundraising support to focal marine programs in Conservation International’s Asia Pacific Field Division, including especially the Bird’s Head Seascape and Pacific Oceanscape initiatives, as well as marine programs in China, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Samoa and the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI). He is also the Director of CI New Zealand.
Mark is a coral reef ecologist (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley) who is now based in New Zealand, though he previously lived and worked in Indonesia for 23 years. During his time there he launched and directed the Bird’s Head Seascape initiative for over a decade, developing it into one of Conservation International's flagship marine programs globally. Mark is an avid diver and has logged over 12,000 scuba dives while surveying marine biodiversity throughout the region, discovering and describing over 170 new species of reef fish and mantis shrimp in the process.
He has published 214 scientific articles and five books, including most recently the three-volume set “Reef Fishes of the East Indies” with colleague Dr. Gerald Allen, and has been a scientific advisor to numerous natural history documentary films for the BBC, National Geographic and NHK. Erdmann was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation in 2004 for his work in marine conservation education and training for Indonesian schoolchildren, members of the press, and the law enforcement community. Though his work is now largely focused on the management of marine protected areas, his continuing research interests include reef fish and mantis shrimp biodiversity, satellite and acoustic telemetry of endangered elasmobranch species, and genetic connectivity in MPA networks.
In recent years Mark has devoted significant time to supporting the Indonesian government in its efforts to improve conservation and management of its sharks and rays, including the designation of the world’s largest manta ray sanctuary in 2014. Mark maintains a research associate position with the California Academy of Sciences, supervises several Master’s and PhD students at the University of Auckland, and is active on the boards of a number of NGOs working in the Coral Triangle, including Thrive Conservation and Manta Trust. Mark and his wife Arnaz and three children (Mica, Brahm and Cruz) live in Auckland, where he maintains a deep personal commitment to do whatever is necessary to ensure his children will be able to enjoy the same high-quality underwater experiences that continue to provide the inspiration for his dedication to the marine environment.