James Byrne
TNC Lead Scientist and Diver
Bio
James Byrne is the Marine Science Program Manager for South Florida and the Caribbean, based in the Florida Keys Office. James provides managerial, technical and scientific leadership for The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC’s) marine conservation initiatives in south Florida, the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. Before coming to South Florida, James was the Southeast Caribbean Science Director, based in the US Virgin Island’s office on St. Croix, where he led the operating unit’s multidisciplinary science team in applying science and technology to coastal and marine conservation issues. He previously led the conservation planning and marine assessments for the Grenadines Parks in Peril Program. James came to the Conservancy in 2005 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coastal Services Center’s Coastal Remote Sensing Program. He lead outreach and training efforts and was the program’s representative with the US National Marine Protected Areas Center. He was also NOAA’s Pacific Islands Technical Assistant in Guam focusing on coral reef issues and building capacity for utilizing spatial technologies to improve coastal management. James is a diving instructor and is the operating unit's Dive Safety Officer. He is also the Conservancy liaison to the American Academy of Underwater Sciences, a non-profit group composed of diving scientists who are dedicated to the establishment and maintenance of standards for scientific diving. James received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami. James speaks English and is proficient in Spanish.
