Fiji Fish Project Personnel

This is a joint project between the University of Hawaii and the University of the South Pacific.

University of Hawaii:

The principle investigators of this grant are Dr. David W. Greenfield and Dr. John E. Randall. Greenfield is a professor in the Department of Zoology where he teaches Ichthyology and Ecology of Fishes. He also is an Affiliate Researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and a Research Affiliate at the Bishop Museum. His research focuses on the systematics and ecology of small, cryptic coral-reef fishes. Randall is Senior Ichthyologist, Emeritus at the Bishop Museum and is a member of the graduate faculty in the Department of Zoology at the University of Hawaii. He has investigated tropical marine fishes around the world, describing numerous species new to science and photographing fishes both above and under the water.

Mr. Richard L. Pyle is a Research Assistant/Database Developer at the Bishop Museum and a graduate student in the Department of Zoology at the University of Hawaii. Pyle studies the systematics of fishes, especially the angelfishes (Pomacanthidae), but also is well known for his exploratory deep-water diving into the coral-reef "twilight zone" using an advanced electronically-controlled closed circuit rebreather. On this project he will head a pilot project off Suva to collect fishes from depths of 50 to 100 meters. He also is developing the database.

University of the South Pacific:

Mr. Johnson Seeto is a Lecturer in Marine Studies and Curator of the Marine Collection. Seeto has described fish species new to science from Fiji and knows the fish fauna well. In this project he is responsible for the expansion of the fish collection at the Marine Studies Programme, incorporating and curating the material collected. He also serves as the liaison between students at the University of the South Pacific and this project.

Dr. Randolph R. Thaman is Professor of Pacific Islands Biogeography in the School of Social and Economic Development. Thaman serves as the liaison between the project personnel and the villages where collecting activities will be conducted and also will gather information on Fijian names and uses of the many small, cryptic fishes that will be collected during this project. He also will work with the villages to develop community-based conservation efforts for marine fishes based on data gathered from the collecting activities.

Mr. Robert Tuxson, Coordinator of the Leisure Education Program at USP, has served as a conservation officer in Fiji and has experience in conducting scientific fish collections. Tuxson will assist with field logistics and collections.

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