Kategorie: News
Mexican researcher Edgar Mauricio Hoyos Padilla honored as Shark Guardian
Due to his decades-long commitment to sharks and his tireless dedication to research on sharks and their habitats, the international species conservation organization Sharkproject is awarding its highest honor, the title of "Shark Guardian," this year to Mexican researcher, Dr. Edgar Mauricio Hoyos Padilla.
Commitment to the study and conservation of shark habitats and migration routes, as well as the protection of the "Great White" are the main focus of the shark researcher. "Hoyos Padilla is especially deserving of this award. His decades of personal commitment, significant research findings and publications deserve great recognition. In addition, our laureate has distinguished himself over many years as a trusted collaborative partner at home and abroad," emphasized Sharkproject President Alexander Smolinsky.
Since 1998, sharks and their habitats have been the basis of Hoyos Padilla's research projects. As a member of the scientific committee of numerous marine protected areas in Mexico, his research focuses on nursery areas, reproduction, movement patterns, habitat use, and shark ecology and behavior.
Additionally, Hoyos Padilla is well known as an internationally respected lecturer and from the media as a high-profile ambassador for shark conservation. In recent years, Hoyos Padilla has given circa 300 lectures to students and adults in Mexico and many other countries. "It is a great honor to receive this international award. It is due to my whole team and will bring further attention to the great outdoors and shark conservation in Mexico. There is a clear mandate to continue working, because sharks are now more threatened with extinction worldwide than ever before," said Hoyos Padilla, who is also director and co-founder of the non-profit marine conservation organization "Pelagios Kakunjá".
Global contact for shark research projects
In Mexico, Hoyos Padilla is a member of the national research council "Sistema Nacional de Investigadores". Based in the Mexican university city of La Paz, he has acted for many years as a contact and cooperation partner for national and international research projects (e.g. Guadalupe Island, Gulf of California, Revillagigedo Archipelago, Playa del Carmen, Cancun and Isla Mujeres (Mexico), Clipperton (France), Coco Island (Costa Rica), Malpelo (Colombia), Los Roques (Venezuela) and British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)).
Awards and Scientific Publications
Throughout his career, Hoyos Padilla has received several awards for his work in shark conservation and protection. Among them: "Mexican Leader" (Leaders of the Future Club), "Golden Diver" (Cozumel Scuba Festival), "Researcher of the Year" (Fins Attached) and "Sea Hero" (Scuba Diving magazine). He has also published more than 60 scientific articles, manuals of procedures in marine protected areas and a book on the Great White Shark. As if all this were not enough, he is leading the update of the Great White Shark Conservation Action Program in Mexican waters.
The "Shark Guardian" from Sharkproject
Since 2004, the internationally active marine and species conservation organization Sharkproject has presented the "Shark Guardian" award. The award honors individuals who have contributed to the protection of sharks and their habitats with internationally outstanding achievements. Previous recipients include researcher Adi Barash (2019), actor Leonardo DiCaprio (2015), former President of the Republic of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed (2012) and the Republic of Palau (2004).
In addition to the "Shark Guardian," Sharkproject also awards a negative prize, the "Shark Enemy," when necessary. This is used when individuals, companies or even countries (such as the Maldives in 2004) pose a particular threat to international shark populations through their actions. In 2017, for example, the transport company FedEx was "awarded" the "Shark Enemy" award to draw attention to the company's transport of shark fins, which is now banned in many countries. The current year's "Shark Enemy" will be announced in the fall of 2022.
For more information on Hoyos Padilla's work, contact Pelagios Kankujá at https://www.pelagioskakunja.org/.
More info on the "Shark Guardian" and "Shark Enemy" at https://www.sharkproject.org/protection/shark-awards/.