Dr. Amanda Vincent Awarded Indianapolis Prize for Seahorse Conservation

A seahorse biologist has been chosen as the recipient of the world’s top animal conservation award for 2020, having dedicated her life and career to understanding and advocating for seahorses, as well as working on a wide range of marine conservation issues.

Dr. Amanda Vincent is the first marine conservationist to win the Indianapolis Prize, which recognizes and rewards conservationists who have achieved significant victories in advancing the sustainability of an animal species or group of species. A professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at The University of British Columbia, she receives the unrestricted $250,000 prize that has been awarded by the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc. every second year since 2006.

Amanda directs Project Seahorse and was the first biologist to study seahorses in their natural habitat, establishing a vital project for their conservation. She was initially drawn to researching their extraordinary biology, where only males become pregnant and some species demonstrate monogamous behavior. However, she soon discovered the various threats they faced.

These threats include harmful fishing practices such as bottom trawling, where industrial nets are dragged across the ocean floor, consequently destroying essential habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Moreover, Amanda’s achievements include successfully lobbying the global conservation community to include seahorses on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List.

She played an instrumental role in persuading the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to adopt landmark legislation regulating the global seahorse trade. After uncovering the overfishing of seahorses for use in traditional medicines, aquariums, displays, and souvenirs, she collaborated with local communities, industry groups, aquariums, and governments worldwide to develop sustainable approaches to seahorse trade.

As a result of Amanda’s relentless advocacy and efforts, 35 marine protected areas have been established where fishing is forbidden. This initiative allows populations of seahorses and other marine fish, such as sharks, rays, groupers, and eels to thrive. “Dr. Amanda Vincent’s determination to protect our oceans and the species that inhabit them is nothing short of heroic,” says Dr. Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc.

Amanda is the eighth winner of the Indianapolis Prize, which is selected by a nine-person jury. Five finalists—Dr. P. Dee Boersma, Dr. Christophe Boesch, Dr. Gerardo Ceballos, Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Dr. John Robinson—receive $10,000 each.

Learn More About the Indianapolis Prize

To explore further about the award and its previous prizewinners, please visit the Indianapolis Prize website here.

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