The Reading Committee’s mission is to help keeping the IAC 2022 programme to the highest standards by selecting the appropriate papers to be presented.
The Reading Committee is composed of 8 members :
- Jon HOECH, Vice President of Animal Care – Monterey Bay aquarium (USA)
- Michael FARQUHAR, CEO – Two Oceans Aquarium (SOUTH AFRICA)
- Rob HICKS, Director of Marine Programs and Engagement – Merlin Entertainments (UK)
- Renaud HERBERT, Deputy Director of aquariology – Health / Research / Conservation – Nausicaa (FRANCE)
- Peijun ZHANG, Ph.D/Associate Professor, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering – Chinese Academy of Sciences (CHINA)
- Masa IWATA, General Curator – Aquamarine Fukushima Marin Science Museum (JAPAN)
- Nicolas HIREL, Head of Biodiversity and Conservation Department – Planet Ocean Montpellier (FRANCE)
- Chris COCO, Senior Director, Aquatic Sustainability – Georgia Aquarium (USA)
Stephane HENARD, Mission Director & General Curator and Florence BLOND, Head of projects and exhibitions – Nausicaa (FRANCE) act as co-chairs of the Reading Committee.
Jon Hoech is the Vice President of Animal Care at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey California.
He leads a team of nearly 100 people that provide expertise in collecting operations, dive programs, husbandry operations, veterinary services, facilities systems, and applied water sciences.
He is involved in institution-wide long-range planning and decision making. He has been serving the Monterey Bay Aquarium for over thirty years and holds in great respect the individual plants and animals in the aquarium’s collection that function as ambassadors for their natural ecosystems. He is drawn to the wonders of nature, has a deep appreciation for all life forms, and enjoys sharing his passion with others.
I completed my Masters degree in Marine Biology at Rhodes University, South Africa, in 1994 with a focus on Intertidal Ecology.
I then worked as a research scientist in the Marine Biology Research Institute at the University of Cape Town for three years.
I joined the Two Oceans Aquarium in 1997 as an Aquarist responsible for the Kelp Forest exhibit and Water Quality.
Since then I have had the roles of Operations Manager, Assistant Curator, General Curator in 2003, and then CEO since 2016.
The Two Oceans Aquarium hosted the 8th IAC in 2012 and I was on the Organising Committee and the Chair of the Programme Committee so I know what Nausicaa is going through at the moment; very stressful but all worthwhile in the end.
When I am not at work I enjoy road trips and camping with my wife, son and daughter. I am a keen fisherman, woodworker, trail runner and kite boarder when I can find the time.
Rob’s fascination in the water world started at a very early age, being inspired by Jaquez Cousteau and even closer to home Rob’s father. This fascination grew into a passion to share the extraordinary stories of aquatic life, with anyone that would listen! Whilst studying Marine Biology and Zoology his career in SEA LIFE began in 1990. Focussing on the animal welfare and presenting animals in innovative and educational ways to the guests he prepared new sites for opening and operated several SEA LIFE sites across the UK.
Rob took on a central role, as the SEA LIFE sites grew in numbers, to advance the Operating Aquariums model by creating inspiring exhibits and experiences that connected visitors to the aquatic environment (via Amazing Discoveries) and continuing the development of animal welfare and conservation activities. Being involved with the creation of over 30 SEA LIFE aquariums, Rob understands what ‘inspiring displays’ really look like and what it takes to create and maintain them whilst maximising animal welfare.
Now heading up the Marine Programs and Engagement team of the Conservation Welfare and Engagement Division, he leads the global support and direction for the regions around Animal Exhibits, Animal Welfare and Conservation which is at the heart of the SEA LIFE brand.
Renaud holds a Science master’s degree and has 35 years of experience in scuba diving at high level. He joined Nausicaa 25 years ago after having made his first experiences in the world of aquaculture.
Very quickly he discovered a passion for sharks and coral.
He participates in various programs Coralzoo, Sumaris and the 2nd International Elasmobranch Husbandry Symposium in Monterey.
This is an opportunity for him to meet various specialists. With Doctor Alexis Lecu, he organized the first laparotomy on a sandbar shark having swallowed a hook, developed various anesthesia procedures on sharks and after the first breeding success of the blackchin guitarfish, he began a study of the sexual and hormonal cycle of this species with Dr Pierre Marie Boitard.
From 2013, convinced that aquariums have a role to play in the conservation of species, he joined EAZA’s Elasmobranch TAG, became a member of the steering committee and coordinator of 3 programs (blackchin guitarfish, common guitarfish and pelagic stingray).
From now on, as deputy director of aquariology, he is in charge of health, research and conservation. He organizes animal care and monitoring with specialized veterinarians and laboratories and coordinates the various research and conservation actions with partners, research institutes and aquariums.
His main hobby: wildlife and more broadly naturalist photography, both on land and under the sea.
My primary research field is in conservation and environment adaption of the marine mammals. I work on environment adaption of cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians based on genomic data, population evolution based whole genome sequencing and resequencing, and reproductive strategy based on hormone data of all the marine mammals. I also work on captive population management, reproduction and health care for marine animals kept in Chinese aquaria.
2005–2011 Ph.D in Hydrobiology, Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
2001–2005 BSc in Marine Fisheries Science and Technology, College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China.
He graduated from the Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, and worked at the Yomiuri Land Marine Aquarium.
Since the opening of Aquamarine Fukushima in 2000, he has been a member of the Coelacanth Ecosystem Research Project.
He conducts expeditions for coelacanthin Africa and Indonesia.
Nicolas Hirel began in the aquarium field in 1990 as a cold sea aquarist at Nausicaà. As assistant curator under Stéphane Hénard (our Stéphane !) supervision, he participated in numerous temporary exhibits (building and running),some aquarium projects in France or abroad, and as a diver in young divers educational programs or underwater trails set up.
From 2000 to 2011, he was deeply involved in “Mare Nostrum” the Montpellier Aquarium project led by Nausicaà from building to running, in a seconded employee position of curator and scientific advisor.
In 2012, Nicolas left Nausicaà and joined the Mare Nostrum aquarium team called “Planet Ocean Montpellier” since 2018, as the curator, and head of education and mediation.
Nicolas centers of interest are snorkeling, diving, fishing, photography and all nature activities in general.
Chris Coco is Senior Director, Aquatic Sustainability at Georgia Aquarium. He is a long-tenured member of the Aquarium’s Zoological Operations team and has worked at several AZA-accredited institutions for more than 30 years.
Career accomplishments include helping to launch imperiled species re-introduction programs; serve on facility pre-opening teams; assist with executing successful large elasmobranch transports; co-authorship chapter contributions to the Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual (2nd ed.); creation of partnership-based marine species breeding programs; contributed to new exhibit gallery projects and novel animal acquisition.
Professional interests include creation of long-term marine species breeding programs to promote sustainably managed living collections, development of student intern/job training programs that directly address inequity of underserved communities within the zoological profession, and development of urban ecosystem conservation and outreach programs.