Mark Erdmann

Dr. Mark Erdmann is the Vice President of Asia Pacific Marine Programs for Conservation International, with a primary focus on providing strategic guidance and technical and fundraising support to CI’s marine programs in the Asia Pacific region. Mark is a coral reef ecologist (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley) who lived and worked for 23 years in Indonesia, though is now based in New Zealand since July 2014. During this time he has logged over 12,000 scuba dives while surveying marine biodiversity throughout the region. He has published 183 scientific articles and 5 books, including most recently the 3-volume set “Reef Fishes of the East Indies” with colleague Dr. Gerald Allen. Erdmann was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation in 2004 for his work in marine conservation education and training for Indonesian schoolchildren, members of the press, and the law enforcement community. Though his work is now largely focused on the management of marine protected areas, his continuing research interests include reef fish and mantis shrimp biodiversity, genetic connectivity in MPA networks, and elasmobranch conservation, and he maintains a research associate position with the California Academy of Sciences and advises several PhD and Master’s students at the University of Auckland. He is also active on the boards of a number of local NGOs within the Coral Triangle, including Yayasan Kalabia, Indonesian Ocean Pride and Reef Check Indonesia. Mark now lives with his wife Arnaz and three children (Mica, Brahm and Cruz) in Auckland, and maintains a deep personal commitment to do whatever is necessary to ensure his children will be able to enjoy the same high-quality underwater experiences that continue to provide the inspiration for his dedication to the marine environment.