Dr. MARK TUPPER

Professor Mark Tupper obtained his B.Sc. in Marine Biology from the University of New Brunswick, his M.Sc. in Biological Oceanography from McGill University and his Ph.D. in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University.

In his early career, Mark held Research Fellowships at the Bellairs Research Institute, Rutgers University, and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. His career has been international in scope, including research and teaching positions at WorldFish, the Palau International Coral Reef Centre, the University of Guam, the Florida Marine Research Institute, Boston University, and the University of Maine.

Professor Tupper has nearly thirty (30) years of experience in science supporting the management of tropical coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and sea grasses. His areas of expertise include coral reef ecology, tropical fisheries management, essential fish habitat and marine protected areas. Professor Tupper also has extensive experience conducting environmental impact assessments of coastal developments for the oil and mining industries. Prior to joining UTT, he was the Director of the Coastal Resources Association, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to conservation and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources.

Professor Tupper’s research focuses on determining the relative contributions of habitat degradation and fishing pressure on marine fish populations. His collaborative research programme has been the recipient of over USD 7 million in research grants and contracts from donors including the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Programme, World Bank, Global Environment Facility, United Nations Environmental Programme, USAID, the Packard Foundation, and InterAmerican Development Bank.

Mark is currently working on several Caribbean fisheries management projects, including a revision of the CRFM Southeastern Caribbean Flying Fish Management Plan and supporting length-based stock assessments for improved reef fishery management in Jamaica.