Christina Lockyer
Choosing My Own Path to Discovery
About the Speaker
Christina Lockyer is British and was educated in England at the University of East Anglia and at the University of London. She received her doctorate in 1989 for studies mainly on the bioenergetics of large whales. Her first job was as a student at the Whale Research Unit at the British Museum in 1967, cutting sperm whale teeth for age estimation, which is how she got into the marine mammal field. Despite travelling and working overseas a lot throughout her life, she ended up living and working in arctic Norway. Her last position was General Secretary of NAMMCO (North Atlantic Marine Mammal commission)from March 2005 – March 2015. NAMMCO is a unique agreement in its direct representation of the interests of Greenland and the Faroes in subsistence and traditional hunting, and covers both large and small cetaceans and all pinnipeds – unlike any other agreement. Lockyer spent most of 35 years in marine mammal research, including studies on large whales, toothed whales and dolphins, seals and polar bears, and working for the Sea Mammal Research Unit in the UK, and later for the Danish Institute for Fisheries Research on by-catch issues. She also was involved in teaching and advising students. When joining NAMMCO, she was familiar with preparing scientific advice for international conservation and management agreements and conventions. She became Executive Secretary of ASCOBANS (Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas) between 1992-1996 and worked tirelessly to get working relations between ASCOBANS and NAMMCO on matters of mutual interest. Since retiring from NAMMCO, Lockyer has focused on consultancy work through her company Age Dynamics. In addition, she has a passion for teaching Yoga and Pilates, an interest she has had for more than 25 years.