Brian's Bio

Brian Gratwicke is an international conservation biologist with experience in aquatic, marine and terrestrial ecology. He grew up in Africa and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and his Masters degree in aquatic ecology from the University of Zimbabwe. In 1997, he was the first person to apply aquatic bio-monitoring techniques using macro-invertebrates as indicators of river health in Zimbabwe, and went on to study fish and crab migrations in tropical streams and document the effects of invasive plants and fishes on riverine fishes, amphibians and macro-invertebrates.

In 2004, he was awarded his Doctoral degree in Tropical Ecology from Oxford University. As one of two Rhodes Scholars from Zimbabwe, Brian researched threatened coral reef fish habitats in the British Virgin Islands and wrote his dissertation on how habitat complexity affects the biodiversity and distribution and patterns of fishes in near-shore marine habitats in the Caribbean. At that time he founded a web-based conservation organization focusing on the deteriorating situation for wildlife in Zimbabwe and began working in Washington DC for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. At the foundation he worked as the assistant director of Save The Tiger Fund and was the foundation’s representative on the science committee of the National Fish Habitat Initiative.

Brian is currently a member of the Society for Conservation Biology, and runs a unique photography group focusing on natural history in Washington DC www.dcnature.com. He is an avid frogger, bird-watcher, diver and continues to explore a wide range of conservation issues as an environmental writer for various publications.