Alex Hearn is a marine fisheries ecologist with 20 years of experience working in Galápagos. He has been a professor and researcher at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and the Galápagos Science Center since 2015. He obtained his BSc in Oceanography and Marine Biology from the University of Southampton, UK; and his MSc and PhD from Heriot-Watt University in the Orkney Islands. He has worked on the Galápagos islands since 2002 on fisheries research and management, and spearheaded the development of the Shark Research Program since 2006. He is a founding member and current board president of the regional research network, MigraMar. Alex was made co-champion of the Mission Blue Galapagos Hope Spot in 2020.
His current projects include using acoustic and satellite telemetry to establish the migratory pathways of sharks, evaluating the movement ecology of the pelagic assemblage around oceanic islets, and monitoring shark nursery grounds. Alex has published over 60 peer review research articles and over a dozen book chapters. He recently led the multi-institutional team of biologists to develop a blueprint for improved conservation of the open waters outside the Galápagos Marine Reserve, a process which resulted in the creation of the new Hermandad Reserve in 2022.