Meet the Team

Dr. John Reynolds was a Mote Senior Scientist who passed away on Dec. 23, 2017. He helped Mote become a beacon of conservation-focused science, particularly through his leadership of its Manatee Research Program — a cornerstone of scientific understanding and protection of these unique mammals in Florida and the Caribbean. The Manatee Research Program continues at Mote, and Reynolds' legacy continues to benefit marine science, conservation and education around the globe.

• Read about Reynolds' life and legacy. Friends, loved ones, students and colleagues are welcome to their stories and memories of Reynolds by emailing: rememberingjohnreynolds@mote.org

Reynolds received his M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in Biological Oceanography from University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences in 1977 and 1980, respectively. He was employed at Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida, from 1980-2001, where he served as Professor of Marine Science and Biology and Chairman of the Natural Sciences Collegium; he was integral in establishing the College's renowned marine science major and remains the only Eckerd faculty member to receive all three of the College's faculty excellence awards for teaching, leadership, and scholarship. In 1991, Reynolds was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve as Chairman of the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, the federal agency with oversight for all research and management of marine mammals in the United States. He led that agency through mid-2010 under four different administrations, and in 2010, the agency's accomplishments were recognized by a distinguished service award by the international Society for Conservation Biology. Since 2001, Reynolds served as a Senior Scientist for Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, where he served as Director of the International Consortium for Marine Conservation and Director of the Center for Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Research. From 2001-2008, he was co-Chair of the IUCN Sirenian Specialist Group, and from 2006-2008, he served as President of the international Society for Marine Mammalogy. Recently he worked with the United Nations Environment Programme to develop and implement a Caribbean-wide Marine Mammal Action Plan. Reynolds was a member of Phi Beta Kappa; was honored and recognized repeatedly for his accomplishments in conservation and science; and published more than 300 books, papers, and abstracts.