Grupo de Especialistas en Sirenia de la CSE de la UICN

Emeritus Professor Helene Marsh, James Cook University 

BSc. Hons 1 UQ 1968; PhD JCU 1973

Helene Marsh is a marine conservation biologist with more than 50 years’ experience in research into species conservation, management and policy with particular reference to tropical coastal and riverine megafauna and their habitats. She is currently Chair Emeritus of the Sirenia Specialist Group having been a co-chair of that Group since 2008. 

Her contributions have been recognized with an Order of Australia and prestigious awards from the Pew Foundation, the Society for Conservation Biology, the American Society of Mammalogists and the Australian Marine Science Association. She is Vice-President regional Engagement of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences, immediate past Vice-President and Secretary Biological Sciences of the Australian Academy of Science and a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, t and the Royal Zoological Society of NSW. She was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor by JCU in 2010. 

Helene has been a key member of the technical advisory groups that have advised the Australian and Queensland governments on environmental matters and was the Chair of the Commonwealth Threatened Species Scientific Committee 2011-2023. She was the natural heritage expert on  the  Australian delegation to the World Heritage Committee from 2018 -2021 and has published on the policy implications of the impact of climate change on World Heritage.

Helene is most proud of the accomplishments of the almost 100 Honours, Masters and PhD students that she has supervised to graduation, who are making a difference all over the world.