Ricardo Tapilatu is the head of the Research Center for Pacific Marine Resources at the University of Papua (UNIPA), Manokwari, Papua Barat Indonesia. With his colleagues, he leads the center to understand and conserve the ocean life throughout the Bird’s Head Seascape, the global epicenter of marine biodiversity. He is also a faculty member in UNIPA’s Marine Science and Fisheries Departments, where he teaches Marine Biology, Ecology, and Conservation for the undergraduate program, and also Natural and Environmental Resources Management and Marine Biodiversity for the postgraduate program. Rick is also a 2018 Pew Marine Fellow (PMF) in Marine Conservation and a co-Regional Vice Chair for the Australasian IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG).