Heather Koldewey is a marine biologist and environmentalist, a specialist on seahorses and their relatives. She is currently the Section Head of Global Programmes at the Zoological Society of London. Koldewey is co-founder and Field Conservation Manager of Project Seahorse, a marine conservation organization. Koldewey's research interests focus on marine and freshwater conservation, seahorse biology and genetics, and the impact of the aquarium trade on wild populations of fish and aquatic invertebrates. Koldewey obtained a B.Sc. Biological Sciences at the University of Plymouth with a First Class Honours and a Ph.D. from the University College Swansea/University College London In 1997, she became the Curator of the Aquarium and Reptile House at the London Zoo, and has worked to advance the role of aquariums in fish conservation globally. Beginning in 1998, she co-chaired a series of workshops that established the first co-ordinated conservation breeding programmes for fish and aquatic invertebrates in European aquariums. She has been engaged in marine and freshwater conservation efforts, including programmes in the UK, Philippines, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Nepal and Mozambique. In 1996, she co-founded Project Seahorse with Dr. Amanda Vincent. Koldewey is Chair of the Fish Section of the IUCN Re-introduction Specialist Group, and a UK government zoo inspector. She is the Section Head for Global Programmes at ZSL. Koldewey was involved in designing and building Biota!, an aquarium in Silvertown Quays in London. In September 2009, the landowner London Development Agency withdrew from the agreement, effectively ending the project.
Selected publications
Koldewey, H.J., Curnick D., Harding S., Harrison L.R., Gollock M. Potential benefits to fisheries and biodiversity of the Chagos Archipelago/British Indian Ocean Territory as a no-take marine reserve. Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Koldewey, H.J. and K.M. Martin-Smith A global review of seahorse aquaculture. Aquaculture 32:131-152
Koldewey, H.J., Atkinson, J. and Shaw, A.. Threatened Species on the Menu? Towards sustainable seafood use in zoos and aquariums. International Zoo Yearbook.
Koldewey, H.J., Jones, R., Shaw, A., Zimmerman, B. 2005. A New Approach to a New Conservation-led Aquarium. Proceedings of the International Aquarium Congress, USA.
