Ellen K. Pikitch, Ph.D. is an international expert in ocean conservation science and management. She is Executive Director of the newly established Pew Institute for Ocean Science, and a Professor in Marine Biology and Fisheries at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Previously, she was the founder and director of the Marine Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, and was the director of the Fisheries Research Institute at the University of Washington. Dr. Pikitch's research has focused on the assessment of fish stocks, the management of bycatch, and various issues facing mixed-species fisheries. Her work influenced the passage of the U.S. Shark Finning Prohibition Act and the proposal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list beluga sturgeon as a U.S. endangered species. Dr. Pikitch has received a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation, authored and edited over 100 articles and books on fisheries science and management, served on several committees of the National Research Council, and participated in President Clinton's Panel on Ocean Exploration Service. Currently, she is Vice Chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Sturgeon Specialist Group and also serves on the U.N. Task Force on Environmental Sustainability