In and Out of Africa: Joe Cutler’s Quest to Catalogue and Preserve Cameroon’s Freshwater Fishes
Travel and technology have made our world seems smaller- but the aquatic realm continues to be a source of mystery. My guest today, Joe Cutler, a scientist and National Geographic Explorer, has made it his mission to catalogue freshwater fishes in Central Africa. Join us, as Joe shares his journey from California to Cameroon - and his hopes to preserve biodiversity in the region.
BIO:
Growing up fishing with his brothers in Coastal California, Joe Cutler developed his love of fishes at an early age. After his undergraduate years at UC Davis, Joe joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in Cameroon, a country whose waters held many mysteries. Both the scientist and explorer in him were piqued and led him to his current occupation. Joe is an ichthyologist and conservationist based in central Africa. He currently works with the Nature Conservancy in Gabon and over the past four years, has conducted seven fish sampling expeditions, collecting hundreds of fish species — including dozens new to science. Using this data, coupled with museum records, Cutler provides guidance to central African governments and conservation NGOs on balancing development and freshwater conservation. Cutler is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and currently serves as the president of the pilot National Geographic Explorers Chapter — a group based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Cutler’s stories, writing and photographs have appeared in National Geographic’s Explorer magazine, National Geographic Learning, and on National Geographic Adventure's website.