Chuck Knapp, Ph.D.

Chuck Knapp heads Shedd Aquarium’s applied conservation research programs that include his own groundbreaking fieldwork. As Vice President, Conservation Research, he directs teams on land and at sea who advance Shedd’s mission to conserve aquatic life and imperiled ecosystems and motivate people everywhere to care for the natural world. His leadership extends to Shedd’s Florida-based research vessel, the R/V Coral Reef II, where he oversees its crew, budgeting and operations.

For more than 20 years, Knapp has advanced conservation initiatives in the United States and abroad. Using iguanas as model organisms, his research focuses on understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on endangered taxa and designing conservation strategies to prevent further population declines and habitat degradation. His work with students, citizens, government officials and scientists led to the expansion of West Side National Park in the Bahamas, a considerable achievement in the region.

At 18, Knapp began volunteering at Shedd and eventually was hired as the first tide pool aquarist in the Abbott Oceanarium. Later, as an aquarist in Shedd’s original galleries, he garnered extensive experience working with Caribbean and freshwater fish species. During his time as an aquarist, he became fascinated with West Indian rock iguanas under his care, which led him to a conservation career of protecting imperiled species across the globe.

Knapp has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal publications, book chapters, and natural history notes. He is the past co-chair of the IUCN Iguana Specialist Group, assessor of three species for the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species and holds board and committee positions for several national and international conservation organizations. Knapp also remains active in conservation training while teaching and serving on committees for graduate students.

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