Iain Kerr

CEO, Ocean Alliance

Captain Kerr, born in Scotland, began his career with dolphins in 1983 as a volunteer research assistant at the Dolphin Research Center in Florida, and in 1984 he earned his Captains License. In 1987, Iain served as a research assistant to Dr. Roger Payne at the New York Zoological Society's whale camp in Peninsula Valdes, Argentina, assisting with the development of new benign methods for the study of the endangered southern Right whale. In 1988/89, under the auspices of the Ocean Alliance and the Interpolar Research Society, he captained the 85ft. research vessel Siben. In 1993, Iain lead the Odyssey Expedition to the Galapagos Islands. He was responsible for creating the research team, the visiting scientist program and for the development of new technologies for studying whales. Iain, now Vice President and CEO of Ocean Alliance, is directing much of his energies on a five year program designed to gather the first ever baseline data on synthetic contaminants throughout the world's oceans. This program, the Voyage of the Odyssey will use whales and Albatrosses as indicator species for measuring the health of the seas. Iain will work with Dr. Payne and leading scientists from around the world, using the R.V. Odyssey as the main platform for data collection. Iain received an honors degree in education from the University of London and his green card in 1997. He is an accomplished speaker and photographer. Iain has led expeditions to all parts of the globe, including Australia, the Amazon Basin, Argentina, Alaska, the Caribbean, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hawaii and Mexico.