FACULTY RESEARCH EXPERTISE
Chris Parsons, Assistant Professor (term)
PhD University of Hong Kong
MA Oxford University
Research Focus: Marine Mammals and Conservation
Web Site: http://www.marinepolicy.net/cparsons
Office/Building: DK 3047
Phone: 703-993-1033
Email: Click Here
Dr Chris Parsons has been involved in whale and dolphin research for over a decade and has conducted projects in South Africa, India, China and the Caribbean as well as the UK. He is currently involved in research projects on coastal dolphin populations in the Dominican Republic, and a new project based in Pakistan. Before moving to the US, Dr Parsons was the Director of the Research and Education Departments of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT), from 1998 until 2003. Prior to this, he was involved in research on Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and finless porpoises in Hong Kong and China, which involved studies on the behavior and ecology of Hong Kong's cetaceans, marine pollution and its effects on marine life. An acknowledged international expert on cetaceans, Dr Parsons has been a member of the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission since 1999. He was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Geographical Society in 1997, won a Scottish Thistle Award in 2000 for his work in Environmental Tourism, and was acknowledged a young achiever in Scotland for his achievements in cetacean conservation by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1999. In addition, Dr Parsons has published over 60 scientific papers and reports.