Dr. Chuck Knapp, Director of Conservation and Research, began his career as an aquarist at Shedd Aquarium and now overseas Shedd’s ex- and in-situ conservation and research programs. He has almost 20 years experience working with iguanas and conservation initiatives in the Caribbean. Using endangered iguanas as model organisms, his research focuses primarily on understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on endangered taxa and designing conservation strategies to prevent further population declines and habitat degradation. Chuck holds a B.S. in Zoology, a M.S. and Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and served as a conservation research Post-Doctoral Fellow at the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research.