About

Advisory Board

The Sea Watch Advisory Board is made up of Mexicans and Americans with a strong working knowledge of the fisheries problems in the Sea of Cortes and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

The SeaWatch Advisory Board:

Hans Herrman
Hans Hermann received a bachelor of Engineering in Biochemistry Engineering & Marine Resources Management. Mr. Herrman, then went on to receive a Masters of Science in Oceanography specializing in Marine Ecology, Coastal Natural Resources Management and Economy. Mr. Herrmann has since made innumerable contributions to the conservation of Mexico’s natural resources and the Sea of Cortes.

Mr. Herrmann served since 1998 as head of Biodiversity Conservation. Commission for Environmental Cooperation In this capacity, he led development of a long term agenda & strategic approach for the Conservation of Biodiversity program, which included the identification of North America’s most important regions for biodiversity conservation.

As Executive Director of Pronatura from 1991 to 1998, Mr. Herrmann negotiated with the Mexican Senate & Government in order to achieve the recognition of Conservation Easements within Mexican Environmental Law and achieved the first Conservation Easements in Mexico, as well as many other environmental contributions including participating in the creation of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, Cabo Pulmo Marine Park, and Loreto Marine Park.

Mr. Herrman also authored and co-authored fifteen papers in international journals and two book chapters in the fields of: phytoplankton ecology, taxonomy, primary productivity, chemical oceanography and conservation. These papers include“The role of NGO’s in Mexico’s Coastal Management” and “Mexico’s Coastal Management in the International Context.”

Miguel Sanchez Navarro

De 1997 a la fecha: Presidente Ejecutivo de Editorial México Desconocido, S.A. de C.V.

Presidente de Consejo de Inmobiliaria Península de la Baja SA de CV
Presidente de Consejo de Península Motors, S.A de C.V.
Presidente Ejecutivo de Editorial Luna, S.A. de C.V.
Presidente Ejecutivo del Archivo Mexicano de Imágenes, S.A. de C.V.
Presidente Ejecutivo de Libros Libros, Books Books, S.A. de C.V.
Presidente Ejecutivo de México Desconocido On Line
Presidente Ejecutivo de Promotra Caboley, S.A. de C.V.
Miembro del Consejo de Protego Casa de Bolsa
Miembro del Consejo de Promotora El Salate, S.A. de C.V.
Miembro del Consejo de Club Campestre San José

Miembro del Comité Técnico de Canal Once
Presidente del Patronato del Museo Franz Mayer
Ex presidente y miembro del Consejo de Pronatura, A.C.
Miembro del Consejo de Grupo Nos
Miembro del Consejo del Museo Postal
Miembro del Consejo de WWF México

Russell Nelson, PhD
Russell Nelson has a doctorate in Marine Fisheries Ecology and over twenty years experience in marine fisheries research and management. He has served as a research biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Director of Marine Fisheries for the State of Florida, and fourteen years as a member of both the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils. Dr. Nelson is currently a chief scientist and director of Nelson Consulting, a firm specializing in international marine fisheries science, management and policy development. Dr. Nelson has particular expertise in coastal and highly migratory pelagic species and reef fish assemblages. He has worked on management plans for over three hundred species of marine resources at the state, national and international levels.

Howard and Michele Hall
Howard and Michele Hall are underwater documentary film producers specializing in marine wildlife films. Howard has received six cinematography Emmys for films produced for television. Michele has received one Emmy award. Howard holds a degree in zoology from San Diego State University. His interest in marine wildlife has led him to author numerous articles about marine life. He is a “Roving Editor” for International Wildlife Magazine and a Contributing Editor for Ocean Realm Magazine and Fathoms Magazine. Michele’s underwater photographs have been published in numerous books and magazines around the world.

In 1990, Howard Hall produced, directed and photographed Seasons in the Sea, a one hour film which aired on the PBS series Nature in the U.S. This film was judged best of show at Wildscreen 1990 receiving the Golden Panda Award, the most prestigious award in natural history film making. Seasons in the Sea also won the Festival Choice Award at the Jackson Hole International Film Festival.

Shadows in a Desert Sea was produced by Howard Hall in 1992, also for the PBS series Nature and the BBC, in conjunction with Partridge Films. Shadows won a Golden Panda Award at Wildscreen 1992, as well as five other top awards at other major film festivals.

Jewels of the Caribbean Sea was co-produced by Howard and Michele Hall and appeared as a National Geographic Special in 1994. Jewels of the Caribbean Sea won nighttime Emmys for best cinematography and best music in the News and Documentary category.

In 1997, Howard and Michele completed production of a 5-part series of hour-long television programs, which focused on marine wildlife behavior from around the world. Secrets of the Ocean Realm aired as five specials on PBS during 1998. As a companion to the television series, Howard and Michele also produced and authored a coffee table book, also titled Secrets of the Ocean Realm.

Howard made his directorial debut in the IMAX® format in 1994 with Into the Deep, an IMAX 3D film which opened at the Sony IMAX Theater on Broadway in New York City and has played widely in IMAX 3D theaters throughout the world.

In the spring of 1999 Howard and Michele completed production on the IMAX film Island of the Sharks about the marine wildlife at Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Island of the Sharks has won numerous awards, including a Cine Golden Eagle, the Special Jury Award of Merit at Jackson Hole International Film Festival, Best Underwater Film at Japan Wildlife Film Festival, and Motion Picture Sound Editors’ Special Venue Film Award.
Howard directed the underwater cinematography for the popular MacGillivray Freeman film, The Living Sea. He was also underwater DP for the recently released IMAX film, Lost Worlds: Life in the Balance.
Howard and Michele just finished Coral Reef Adventure, an IMAX film, being produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films, with Howard as director of underwater photography and Michele as line producer. Coral Reef Adventure explores coral reef ecology, the marine wildlife that makes coral reefs their home. It also profiles Howard and Michele and provides glimpses from ‘behind-the-scenes.’ The film was released in February 2003.

Michel and Barbara Meyer Stinglhamber
Barbara Meyer de Stinglhamber, currently works at the INAH,(National Institute of Anthropology and History) of La Paz, B.C.S.. As an art historian, she is an expert on the missions of Southern Baja and just finished writing the book “Arte Sacro en B.C.S. Siglos .XVII – XIX. During her spare time she is dedicated to learning about marine life and marine conservation. She enjoys diving in the Sea of Cortes. Ms. Meyer de Stinglhamber narrated and helped write the film Tesoro sin Protection, produced by SeaWatch to inform Mexican citizens about the devastation of their natural heritage.

Michel Stinglhamber is chairman of Umicore, Mexico, (a branch of Umicore Belguim, ex. Union Minière), a company devoted to trading and refining minerals and precious metals; and the largest European copper
refiner. He is on the advisory committee of “Pronatura” for Baja California Sur and of “Niparaja NC”. Michel is also a member of the World Organization of the Periodical Press. In his spare time, Michel accompanies his wife Barbara on her cultural trips and shares the same interest in conservation of the Sea of Cortes.

Terry Maas, D.D.S.
Terry Maas studied marine biology as an undergraduate at the University of California. He also holds three advanced degrees; Doctor of Dental Science from University of the Pacific, Resident in Oral Surgery from the University of Southern California and Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Terry Maas is a veteran freediver. He started diving when he was 14 years old and has been freediving steadily for the last 43 years. In his early years, Terry won the individual U.S. National Spearfishing championships 4 times. His team won 10 championships. In 1982, Terry’s interests turned to blue water hunting. For the next 10 years he captured 3 world records for spearing yellowfin and bluefin tuna. His 398-lb Pacific bluefin tuna record still stands. In 1995, Terry published his first book, BlueWater Hunting and Freediving. This book is richly illustrated with pictures and stories from Mexico. Several years later he published his second book on the subject of freediving, Freedive.

Mr. Maas is also an accomplished videographer. His rare footage of wild yellowfin tuna taken at Socorro Island is displayed in two sections of the Monterey Bay Aquarium open water exhibit. He has produced two commercial videos, The Joy of Freediving and Freediving Made Easy.
His 1992 video, Bluewater Hunters for PBS has been viewed by over 25 million people and has helped introduce the sport of bluewater spearfishing to the world. Terry Maas’ diving has been featured in such publications as Sports Illustrated, American Airlines magazine, The Miami Herald and the Los Angeles Times. He lectures nationally using his slides and video presentations to educate those interested in the adventure of bluewater hunting and marine resource conservation. Terry also documents the underwater world on still film and in magazine articles. His article documenting the natural history of manta rays was featured as the front-cover exhibit in Mexico Desconocido (July 2002). His articles and photographs have been featured in such US magazines as Sport Diver, Skin Diver, Scuba Times, Western Diver and California Diving News. Internationally, his articles appear in Sterne (Germany), Focus (Italy) and Australian Freediving and Spearfishing News.

While Terry remains an avid hunter, he is very selective in his take and is deeply concerned with conservation of the ocean’s bounty. He shares his underwater images of sea creatures captured in commercial poaching nets and on hooks with many environmental organizations. He is an active supporter of Sea Watch and in 2000 he was inducted as a fellow into the Explorers’ Club of New York.

Robert Rubin PhD.
Robert Rubin received his Ph.D. in Comparative Physiology and Marine Ecology from the University of California at Irvine. Dr. Rubin presently is a faculty member in the Department of Biology at Santa Rosa Community College, where he teaches courses in Marine Biology and The Biology of Marine Mammals. In addition, he has taught at the University of California Irvine and Santa Cruz, University of Maryland, Sonoma State University and The Huntsman Marine Laboratory in New Brunswick, Canada.

Dr. Rubin has conducted field and laboratory research on several species of marine mammals, including: hooded and harp seals in the Arctic, elephant seals in California, harbor seals in the Atlantic, Alaska and California, and sea otters in California and in Russia at the invitation of the Russian government and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Rubin’s research interests in the Gulf of California have spanned over two decades and have included field and/laboratory studies of the physiology of salt and water metabolism in fish eating bats at Isla Partida and the population ecology of sea birds at Isla Raza. Beginning in 1990, he has been conducting field research on the population and community ecology of manta rays. The study is focussed in the Revillagigedos Islands, and includes comparable work on the species at Yap, Cocos Islands and Hawaii.

Dr. Rubin has served as an educational program consultant to the US Department of Energy, The National Science Foundation and to the California of Education. He has been awarded several faculty and teaching awards, including but not limited to: Distinguished Teaching Award from University of California, Irvine , Alumni Professor of the Year from Santa Rosa Community College, Excellence in Education Recognition from the California State Senate and Special Congressional Recognition for Educational Excellence from the United States Congress.

* John Jackson*
Biography to be added soon.