Guy diving with a lionfish in the Cayman Islands as part of the ongoing lionfish culling project .
// PROFILES IN LEADERSHIP
The worst have always been about the ‘ wrong ’ person ; hiring people who did not do what they said they could do ; people in whom you placed your trust who turn out to be embezzlers and ‘ puff daddies .’ I ’ m sure everyone starting out in a small business has had the same experience .
BI : When did you launch the Guy Harvey Foundation and what ’ s the mission ? GH : GHF was initiated in 2007 mainly to raise funds for the research projects conducted by GHRI and support other like-minded research and conservation organizations . Since 2020 , the focus has been in the field of marine science education in schools in Florida and the Caribbean . We have put together curricula and other initiatives to better teach students , K-12 , about the marine environment . We started in Florida and will be taking the experience to other states and the Caribbean .
BI : What ’ s your partnership with the Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University ( NSU )? GH : This came first in 1999 , before the formation of the GHF . After a dozen years of getting the business up and running , it was time to carve out a percentage of the proceeds from licensing and support research projects led by Professor Mahmood Shivji at NSU . These efforts were focused on shark and ray research but have expanded to billfish , tuna , dolphin fish , and other species , many of which are overexploited .
BI : Tell us about the stingray monitoring activity underway in the Grand Cayman . GH : Long-lived animals like sharks and rays require long-term research projects to fully understand their life history and how we manage the use of the resource in a sustainable way . We began the stingray surveys in 2002 . It is the longest running study of a marine interactive project , during which time we have tagged 650 individual rays , demonstrating how dynamic the population is in an open system .
BI : Why have you chosen to invest your time and resources in these causes ? GH : We need to learn so much more about the marine environment and the various ecosystems before we consume them all . Unregulated , unreported exploitation of marine resources is a massive problem . The implementation of Marine
Protected Areas , based on more research , is one method of combating current rates of extraction . Time and area closures , based on science , also works . The other course of action is through more and better education to children worldwide about marine ecosystems , how they work , and how they can be harvested sustainably . BI : What are your most notable successes on these fronts ? GH : 167 peer reviewed papers published by GHRI . No other brand in our genre has come anywhere near this level of achievement . Management of several critical species has been improved due to this research effort .
BI : What ’ s the key call-to-action for boating industry colleagues as it relates to marine conservation ? GH : Learn about the issues that humans impose on the ocean . Share your knowledge with family and
Mako magic in Mexico !
friends ; and take action . Support a research or conservation organization with funds , however small .
BI : Any mantras or keys to success ? GH : Never give up . Lead from the front . Be willing to learn . Be humble and treat people just as you would like to be treated .
BI : How do you stay on top of your game ? GH : The ocean is my teacher . I am constantly learning new facts every day about marine life . Each day , out on or in the water , is different ; expect the unexpected . I take these experiences and turn them into art , a story that tells us something about the life history of the animal or fish I am painting . My art has become not only a collectable item of great value but also a tool for teaching the next generation .
BI : Finally , what ’ s ahead for Dr . Guy Harvey ? GH : Don ’ t stop the carnival !
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