Gabriel Vianna

Principal Investigator - Shark Ecology & Conservation

Gabriel is Co-Principal Investigator of the Shark Ecology and Conservation Program of the Charles Darwin Foundation, in Galapagos. His research focuses on aspects of shark ecology, fisheries and socio-economics applied to shark conservation. Gabriel also works on the interface of science and policy, translating research findings into management recommendations to reduce shark by-catch at the local (Galapagos), national (Ecuador) and regional (Eastern Tropical Pacific) levels.

Previously, as a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, Gabriel contributed to a multinational project to assess the status of fish populations in all coastal countries in the world. He also worked for several years as a marine scientist for conservation NGOs in Brazil, developing fisheries monitoring programs and providing science-based recommendations to improve management of artisanal and industrial fisheries.

Gabriel holds a PhD in Marine Biology and a Master’s degree in Biological Oceanography. His PhD research focused on the ecology and conservation of reef sharks in Palau (Micronesia). This work led to further shark conservation projects across the Indo-Pacific, including Fiji, Australia, Borneo and the Chagos Archipelago.

Gabriel’s professional career has been influenced by years of work as a field marine biologist on the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) and on scientific expeditions around the world, where he became deeply connected to ocean conservation.