Alan M. Friedlander

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Alan Friedlander is an American marine ecologist and fisheries scientist focusing on protecting ocean habitats and incorporating traditional indigenous knowledge into contemporary conservation management. [1] Friedlander was the lead author of the first study to describe inverted biomass pyramids in un-fished coral reef ecosystems. [2] He has authored or contributed to over 400 publications, book chapters, and articles that have been cited over 15,000 times. [3] As chief scientist for National Geographic's Pristine Seas Project, Friedlander has led over 40 expeditions resulting in the creation of 26 new marine reserves protecting more than 6.5 million square kilometers of remote and exceptional ocean habitats. [4]

Contents

Life, Education, and Work

Alan Marc Friedlander was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in November 1958. [5] Friedlander received his B.S. in Biology from Roanoke College in 1980. [6] After serving two years in the Peace Corps in Tonga [6] [7] working with local fishing communities, he went on to receive an M.S. in Oceanography from Old Dominion University in 1987. [8] Following that, he worked in the US Virgin Islands, first as a fisheries biologist with the territorial government and then as a marine biologist with the Virgin Islands National Park. [9] [10] He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Zoology (Marine Biology) from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1996. [7] [8] He then conducted post-doctoral research with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Pacific Grove, California. [8] [11] [12]

Over the past 40 years, [8] Friedlander has spent more than 12,000 hours underwater – from coral reefs to the poles and to depths of thousands of meters – researching to better understand the functioning of marine ecosystems. [13] While in Tonga, he learned the value of a healthy ocean to indigenous communities, sparking his interest in traditional ecological knowledge and its importance in contemporary marine resource management. His master's research focused on fish aggregating devices in Puerto Rico [14] and artificial reefs in the Chesapeake Bay. [15] His Ph.D. research examined the role of habitat complexity and ocean processes in structuring coral reef fish assemblages. [16] [17] His work comparing the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' reef ecosystems to that of the main Hawaiian Islands found that remote areas without people had far greater populations of large predators (e.g., sharks and jacks) compared to inhabited areas. [2] His surveys in the Northern Line Islands [18] revealed a similar trend, and subsequent expeditions across the globe have corroborated these findings. [19]

Friedlander about to dive at Cape Tegetthoff. Hall Island, Franz Joseph Land, Russian Arctic National Park. 80deg north latitude, water temperature -1degC. Alan M Friedlander.jpeg
Friedlander about to dive at Cape Tegetthoff. Hall Island, Franz Joseph Land, Russian Arctic National Park. 80° north latitude, water temperature -1°C.

Friedlander has contributed to ocean ecosystem management in Hawaii for decades, assisting in the regulation of fisheries, [20] assessing the efficacy of marine protected areas, [21] [22] [23] and studying the effects of fishing [24] [25] [26] and other anthropogenic influences on island ecosystems. [27] [28]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Friedlander surveyed Molokini Shoal Marine Protected Area (MPA), one of the most heavily visited MPAs in the world. He found that in the absence of people, fish recovered quickly. However, once people returned, fish populations returned to their pre-COVID levels. [28] [29]

Since 2013, Friedlander has been the Chief Scientist for National Geographic's Pristine Seas Project, supporting global communities and government goals to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. [4] [6] Some projects Dr. Friedlander was involved in include: helping to establish the Nazca Ridge–Desventuradas Islands MPA in Peru [30] [31] and Juan Fernández Islands MPA in Chile, [31] [32] battling salmon farms with the Kawésqar people in Chile, [33] protecting kelp forests off Tierra del Fuego in Argentina, [34] opposing shark culling in Western Australia, [35] and tagging sharks to track their behavior in Palmyra Atoll. [36] Friedlander is also a researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology with the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. [13] [37]

Awards

Memberships

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References

  1. ↑ Friedlander, Alan (2018). "Marine conservation in Oceania: Past, present, and future". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 135: 139–149. Bibcode:2018MarPB.135..139F. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.064. ISSN   0025-326X. PMID   30301023. S2CID   52945508.
  2. 1 2 Friedlander, Alan M.; DeMartini, Edward E. (2002-04-05). "Contrasts in density, size, and biomass of reef fishes between the northwestern and the main Hawaiian islands: the effects of fishing down apex predators". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 230: 253–264. Bibcode:2002MEPS..230..253F. doi: 10.3354/meps230253 . ISSN   0171-8630.
  3. ↑ "Alan Friedlander". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  4. 1 2 "Pristine Seas". National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  5. ↑ "Index of Births, Maryland" (PDF). Maryland State Archives. 1958.
  6. 1 2 3 Taylor, Leslie (2015-12-31). "Protecting pristine places". Roanoke College. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  7. 1 2 "Alan Marc Friedlander - University of Hawaii". studylib.net. 1998. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Alan Friedlander". Fisheries Ecology Research Lab. 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  9. 1 2 "GLORES Partner Spotlight: Dr. Alan Friedlander". Marine Conservation Institute. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  10. ↑ "Our Researchers". Ocean Tipping Points. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  11. 1 2 3 "Alan Friedlander". Biocultural Initiative of the Pacific. University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  12. 1 2 Friedlander, Alan; Boehlert, George; Field, Michael; Mason, Janet; Gardner, James; Dartnell, James (7 April 1999). "Sidescan sonar mapping of benthic trawl tracks on the shelf and slope off Eureka, California". Fishery Bulletin. 97 (4): 786–801.
  13. 1 2 "Alan Friedlander". Marine Conservation Institute. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  14. ↑ Friedlander, Alan (1992). "A comparison of fishing methods associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs) off Puerto Rico" (PDF). Proceedings of the 42nd Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. 42: 233–246.
  15. ↑ Feigenbaum, David; Bushing, Mark; Woodward, Jay; Friedlander, Alan (1989-03-01). "Artificial Reefs in Chesapeake Bay and Nearby Coastal Waters". Bulletin of Marine Science. 44 (2): 734–742.
  16. ↑ Friedlander, Alan M; Parrish, James D (1998-06-01). "Habitat characteristics affecting fish assemblages on a Hawaiian coral reef". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 224 (1): 1–30. doi:10.1016/S0022-0981(97)00164-0. ISSN   0022-0981.
  17. ↑ Friedlander, Alan M.; Parrish, James D. (1998-09-01). "Temporal dynamics of fish communities on an exposed shoreline in Hawaii". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 53 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1023/A:1007497210998. ISSN   1573-5133. S2CID   26659348.
  18. ↑ Watts, Rachel (2022-08-07). "National Geographic expedition teaming up with Inuit to visit Nunavik, Que., on conservation mission". CBC News.
  19. ↑ "Pristine Seas: Scientific Publications". National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  20. ↑ Associated Press (2017-11-05). "Isle reefs and fisheries facing decline, scientists warn". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  21. ↑ Friedlander, Alan M.; Donovan, Mary K.; Koike, Haruko; Murakawa, Paul; Goodell, Whitney (2019-10-21). "Characteristics of effective marine protected areas in Hawaiʻi". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 29 (S2): 103–117. doi:10.1002/aqc.3043. ISSN   1052-7613. S2CID   208575666.
  22. ↑ Friedlander, Alan M.; Brown, Eric K.; Monaco, Mark E. (2007-04-01). "Coupling Ecology and GIS to Evaluate Efficacy of Marine Protected Areas in Hawaii". Ecological Applications. 17 (3): 715–730. doi:10.1890/06-0536. ISSN   1051-0761. PMID   17494391.
  23. ↑ Friedlander, Alan M.; Stamoulis, Kostantinos A.; Kittinger, John N.; Drazen, Jeffrey C.; Tissot, Brian N. (2014-01-01), Johnson, Magnus L.; Sandell, Jane (eds.), "Chapter Five - Understanding the Scale of Marine Protection in Hawai'i: From Community-Based Management to the Remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands", Advances in Marine Biology, Marine Managed Areas and Fisheries, Academic Press, 69: 153–203, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800214-8.00005-0, PMID   25358300 , retrieved 2023-04-24
  24. ↑ Friedlander, Alan; Pyle, Richard (2020-06-17). "Column: Industrial fishing harms ecosystems". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  25. ↑ Pala, Christopher (2017-10-31). "Pacific reefs could be at risk". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  26. ↑ Hurley, Timothy (2017-09-30). "Overfishing is jeopardizing reefs, study finds". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  27. ↑ Wu, Nina (2018-03-02). "UH researchers help map human impacts on Hawaii reefs". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  28. 1 2 Carpenter, Mark (14 April 2023). "Before the pandemic, Molokini was being 'loved to death.' Could a new study offer a different path forward?". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  29. ↑ Weng, Kevin C.; Friedlander, Alan M.; Gajdzik, Laura; Goodell, Whitney; Sparks, Russell T. (2023-04-12). "Decreased tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic positively affects reef fish in a high use marine protected area". PLOS ONE. 18 (4): e0283683. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1883683W. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283683 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   10096236 . PMID   37043450.
  30. ↑ Lima, Eduardo (2021-09-17). "The Hole in Peru's Nazca Ridge National Reserve".
  31. 1 2 "Chile crea la reserva marina más grande de las Américas" [Chile creates the largest marine reserve in the Americas]. National Geographic Society (in Spanish). 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  32. ↑ "Experto alerta sobre el ecosistema de Juan Fernández". Revista Qué Pasa. 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  33. ↑ De Augustinis, Francesco (2023-01-26). "Indigenous Kawésqar take on salmon farms in Chile's southernmost fjords". Mongabay.
  34. ↑ Alberts, Elizabeth Claire (2022-12-08). "Peat on land and kelp at sea as Argentina protects tip of Tierra del Fuego". Mongabay.
  35. ↑ Paddenburg, Trevor (2014-02-08). "Hawaii authorities criticise WA Premier Colin Barnett for catch-and-kill shark plan". Perth Now.
  36. ↑ Jenkins, Matt (2013-03-01). "Kingdom of the Hungry". The Nature Conservancy .
  37. ↑ Friedlander, Alan (2021-01-06). "Let's Honor Our Pacific Marine Monuments By Building On Their Legacy". Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  38. ↑ Harrison, John (November 2002). "The Nature of Community" (PDF). Hawai'i Audubon Society.
  39. ↑ "Ka'u News Briefs Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017". The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  40. ↑ "Pristine Seas: Meet the team". National Geographic Society. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
  41. ↑ "Hawai'i and Palmyra: Contact Us". The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
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