Bradley Johnson
Research Officer II – Send Email
Bradley joined the Department as a summer student in 1993 and became a full time employee after graduating from Eckerd College in 1997 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Science. He has had involvement with most of the Department’s projects over the years but now is involved with theNassau Grouper study, the North Sound Current study and is responsible for data acquisition with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler.
Carl Edwards
Conservation Officer – Send Email
Carl is one of the Department’s Conservation Officers patrolling the waters around Grand Cayman and enforcing the Marine Conservation Laws.
Cheryl Henry Ebanks
Administrative Secretary – Send Email
Cheryl performs a wide variety of administrative support functions for a staff of 35, and provides bookeeping support to the AFM in the adminstration of the department’s annual budget.
Clinton Nicholson
Conservation Officer – Send Email
Croy McCoy
Research Officer II – Send Email
Croy works in the research and assessment section of DOE, working mainly with coral reefs, seagrass and mangrove systems, with coral reefs as his main focus. He coordinates the Department’s long-term Coral Reef Monitoring Programme along with assisting in the planning and implementation of other environmental monitoring and research programmes ensuring that changes in the general ecology of the marine and coastal environments are detected and these environments are safeguarded.
L. Delwin McLaughlin
Marine Field Technician – Send Email
Delwin is responsible for the installation & maintenance of the 180 public moorings on the dive sites of Grand Cayman as well as the boundary markers and information signs for the marine parks. If you see a damaged sign or mooring, please contact the Department as soon as possible.
Erbin Tibbetts
Conservation Officer – Sister Islands – Send Email
Erbin is one of the Department’s Conservation Officers responsible for the enforcement of the Marine Conservation Laws in the Sister Islands. His office is based in Cayman Brac.
Gene Parsons
Sr. Research Officer – Send Email
Gene’s departmental roles include fisheries conservation, coastal water quality monitoring, and local aquaculture development. He began his aquatic science career in 1975 as the C.I.G.’s first Caymanian marine biologist. In the photograph, Gene is preparing to deploy a buoy to mark a sampling station during conch survey.
Gina Ebanks-Petrie
Director – Send Email
Gina Ebanks-Petrie is the Director of the Department of Environment. She describes her job as challenging, but never boring, and says she feels extremely privileged to lead such a competent and dynamic team who are passionately committed to the conservation of Cayman’s biodiversity and natural environment. Gina would like to extend a very warm Caymanian welcome to all visitors to this website and hopes that you will find it both informative and inspiring.
James Gibb
Research Officer – Send Email
James’ background is in Ocean Current Research and Coastal Processes, however, since leaving the University of Plymouth (UK) and joining DOE he has broadened his vision of the oceanic world and has become involved in the Mangrove Restoration Project, ReefBall Co-ordination and Deployment, Benthic Habitat Classification of Cayman’s Lagoons using Remote Sensing (Darwin Initiative), the Marine Turtle Research (in-water and beach nesting), Ocean Current Research in the North Sound and George Town harbour (pictured), and the Marine fish and Invertebrate survey.
James Squire
Conservation Officer – Send Email
Jimmy is one of the Department’s Conservation Officers, and is based in Grand Cayman.
Janice Blumenthal
Research Officer – Send Email
Janice’s work for the Department of Environment focuses on marine turtle research, conservation, and public education. Current projects include monitoring and satellite tracking nesting female green and loggerhead turtles ( http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking ) and investigation of genetics, diving behavior, habitat use, and ecology of juvenile hawksbill and green turtles. These efforts are targeted toward providing information of aximum relevance to the conservation of marine turtles in the Cayman Islands, through elucidation of international migratory patterns and local management requirements. Janice is also involved in Darwin Initiative benthic habitat mapping and a variety of other DoE research and education programs.
Jeremy Olynik
GIS Officer – Send Email
Jeremy is a Research Officer with the department who specializes in Geographic Information Systems. He is currently working on the habitat mapping portion of the Darwin Initiative among other ongoing projects. He has been with the department since February 2006 and is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
John Bothwell
Research Officer II- Send Email
John Bothwell is the Department’s Research Officer with responsibility for the annual Conch Survey and monthly Marine Quality Water Analysis programmes. He also leads on CITES and other MEA issues for the Department and works on many of the Department’s public education programmes. He tries not to get too busy to help other Officers with their in-water research, as long as they handle the data management and analysis.
Joni Kirkconnell
Research Officer II – Research & Assessment – Send Email
Joni works on a variety of issues connected with the coastal environment, ranging from planning and coastal works applications to turtle monitoring, nest survey and (in the event of stormy weather) rescue and relocation.
Keith Neale
Operations Supervisor – Sister Islands – Send Email
Keith is the master of all trades that keeps our operations running in the Sister Islands by maintaining public mooring, boats & equipment, collecting data for research and enforcing the Marine Conservation Law. Keith is based in Little Cayman.
Kevin Jackson
Marine Service Technician – Send Email
Kevin keep DoE operations running smoothly – whether that involves repairs to machinery, boats and vehicles, designing and constructing customized research gear, or lending a hand with the work in the field.
Kristan Godbeer
Research Officer – Terrestrial Ecology – Send Email
Kristan is the other half of the terrestrial section. Though lured to the Cayman Islands by the endemic parrots, he has an avid interest in all natural history. Responsibilities include invasive species action and the monitoring of terrestrial protected areas and endangered species.
Linda Bishop
Research Officer – Assessment & Compliance – Send Email
Linda sits on the Department’s Techical Review Committee, and fields many of our planning applications and queries.
Lisa Hurlston
Manager – Sustainable Development Unit – Send Email
Lisa heads up the Department’s Sustainable Development Unit which seeks to coordinate the development of a National Sustainable Development Strategy for the Cayman Islands. She also conducts research on adapting to climate change impacts in small islands to inform local adaptation policies. During marine turtle nesting season, Lisa helps out with the beach monitoring programme.
Maggie Buchanan
Administrative & Finance Manager – Send Email
Working to keep a smooth running office within Budget!
Mark Orr
Chief Conservation Officer – Send Email
Mat DaCosta Cottam
Sr. Research Officer, Terrestrial Ecology – Send Email
Mat is a Senior Research Officer, and heads up the Department’s new Terrestrial Section. His diverse responsibilities include conservation and protected areas management, endangered species preservation, the Native Tree Nursery, Multilateral Environmental Agreements and special projects. He also writes and administers local and international grants, and the CaymanBiodiversity.com website. Here he is pictured getting stuck into the Booby survey on Little Cayman.
Paul Lawrence
Operations Manager – Send Email
Paul heads the department’s Operations Section and is responsible for the installation and maintenance of public moorings, response to marine oil spills and keeping the fleet of boats and vessels running.
Phil Bush
Manager – Marine Research – Send Email
Phil is Secretary of the Marine Conservation Board, and presides over the issue of fishing licensing and permits. He also heads up our year-round research into the Nassau grouper, and manages the data collection and reporting for CARICOM projects.
Robert Walton
Marine Parks Officer – Sister Islands – Send Email
Robert is the Marine Parks Officer for Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. His duties encompass all aspects of Marine Conservation, assisting scientists in field studies and enforcement and compliance of Marine Conservation Laws.
Ronnie Dougall
Conservation Enforcement Supervisor – Send Email
Ronnie supervises the team of Conservation Officers enforcing the Marine Conservation Law.
Scott Slaybaugh
Deputy Director – Operations & Enforcement- Send Email
Stuart Turpin
Conservation Officer – Send Email
Stuart is one of the Department’s Conservation Officers, and is based in Grand Cayman.
Tim Austin
Deputy Director – Research & Assessment – Send Email
Tim is the Assistant Director, and oversees the Department’s diverse marine and terrestrial research and conservation programmes on all three islands.
Tracy Galvin
Administrative Secretary- Send Email
Tracy is the Department’s front line for visitors and initial telephone enquiries. Her desk has been temporary home to turtle hatchlings awaiting sun-down for release; various insects and reptiles awaiting identification; and tourists and locals alike seeking information on all manner of marine and environmental related enquiries.
