Archie Carr
Encyclopedia
Archie Fairly Carr, Jr. (June 16, 1909 – May 21, 1987) was an American herpetologist, ecologist and a pioneering conservationist
. He was a Professor
of Zoology
at the University of Florida
. In 1987 he was awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award
by the Ecological Society of America
. He made extraordinary contribution to sea turtle
conservation by way of bringing attention to the world's declining turtle populations due to over-exploitation and loss of safe habitat.
, Carr was the son of a Presbyterian pastor, and grew up in Mobile, Fort Worth, Texas
, and Savannah, Georgia
. He studied zoology at the University of Florida
, eventually specializing in herpetology
. He further refined that interest to the study of turtle
s and eventually became one of the world's foremost authorities on sea turtle
s. He was married to Marjorie Harris Carr
a conservationist herself.
He started out as a high school science teacher before becoming a college professor. He published numerous books and articles, including Ulendo: Travels of a Naturalist in and out of Africa, High Jungles and Low, So Excellent a Fishe (about his green turtles), The Windward Road
and several Time-Life
books such as The Everglades and The Reptiles. He was also the author of the Handbook of Turtles, and with Coleman J. Goin, Guide to the Reptiles, Amphibians and Freshwater Fishes of Florida. While a serious scientific and nature writer, he also had a remarkable sense of humor, which led him to publish the parody of scientific taxonomic keys - his A Subjective Key to the Fishes of Alachua County, Florida, affectionately known as the "Carr Key".
Carr became a bit of a legend at the University of Florida and students vied with one another to take his Community Ecology course in which they were involved in several major and minor field trips around northern Florida
and southern Georgia
. Listening to Carr talk about the Sand Pine
scrub
near Ocala
or his comments as he guided students through the Okefenokee Swamp
in canoe
s was considered a great privilege.
Carr was also known for his efforts in conservation, especially for sea turtles, helping convince Costa Rica
to establish Tortuguero National Park
in 1975. He was a co-founder of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation
, which helps to save and monitor sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica
. He was often joined in his conservation work by his wife Marjorie Carr, who was a major advocate for conservation in her own right. In 1952 Carr was awarded the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
.
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
. He was a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. In 1987 he was awarded the Eminent Ecologist Award
Eminent Ecologist Award
The Eminent Ecologist Award is prize awarded annually to a senior ecologist in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the science of ecology. The prize is awarded by the Ecological Society of America. According to the statutes, the recipient may be from any country in the world. However, in...
by the Ecological Society of America
Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America is a professional organization of ecological scientists. Based in the United States, ESA publishes a suite of publications, from peer-reviewed journals to newsletters, fact sheets and teaching resources. It holds an annual meeting at different locations in the...
. He made extraordinary contribution to sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
conservation by way of bringing attention to the world's declining turtle populations due to over-exploitation and loss of safe habitat.
Biography
Born in Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Carr was the son of a Presbyterian pastor, and grew up in Mobile, Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, and Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. He studied zoology at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, eventually specializing in herpetology
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
. He further refined that interest to the study of turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s and eventually became one of the world's foremost authorities on sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s. He was married to Marjorie Harris Carr
Marjorie Harris Carr
Marjorie Harris Carr was an American conservationist.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Harris moved to Lee County in southwest Florida. In 1936, she received a B.S. in zoology from Florida State College for Women; in 1942, she received an M.A. from the University of Florida...
a conservationist herself.
He started out as a high school science teacher before becoming a college professor. He published numerous books and articles, including Ulendo: Travels of a Naturalist in and out of Africa, High Jungles and Low, So Excellent a Fishe (about his green turtles), The Windward Road
The Windward Road
The Windward Road: Adventures of a Naturalist on Remote Caribbean Shores, was written by Archie Carr and originally published in 1956. It is an account of Dr. Carr's travels around the Caribbean to study sea turtles and their migratory and behavior patterns, especially Kemp's Ridley, a species...
and several Time-Life
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
books such as The Everglades and The Reptiles. He was also the author of the Handbook of Turtles, and with Coleman J. Goin, Guide to the Reptiles, Amphibians and Freshwater Fishes of Florida. While a serious scientific and nature writer, he also had a remarkable sense of humor, which led him to publish the parody of scientific taxonomic keys - his A Subjective Key to the Fishes of Alachua County, Florida, affectionately known as the "Carr Key".
Carr became a bit of a legend at the University of Florida and students vied with one another to take his Community Ecology course in which they were involved in several major and minor field trips around northern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and southern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Listening to Carr talk about the Sand Pine
Sand Pine
Pinus clausa is a small, often shrubby tree from , exceptionally to tall, found in two separate locations, one across central peninsular Florida, and the other in the western Florida panhandle and the Alabama coast; there is a range gap of about between the populations...
scrub
Florida scrub
Florida scrub is an endangered temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the state of Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by a xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Scrub soils, a type of entisol, are derived...
near Ocala
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
or his comments as he guided students through the Okefenokee Swamp
Okefenokee Swamp
The Okefenokee Swamp is a shallow, 438,000 acre , peat-filled wetland straddling the Georgia–Florida border in the United States. A majority of the swamp is in Georgia and protected by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the Okefenokee Wilderness. The Okefenokee Swamp is considered to be...
in canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
s was considered a great privilege.
Carr was also known for his efforts in conservation, especially for sea turtles, helping convince Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
to establish Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park
Tortuguero National Park is a National Park within the Tortuguero Conservation Area. The reserve is also included in the Humedal Caribe Noreste, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park is located in the Limón Province of northeastern Costa Rica...
in 1975. He was a co-founder of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation
Caribbean Conservation Corporation
The Sea Turtle Conservancy , formerly known as Caribbean Conservation Corporation is an American not-for-profit 501 membership organization based in Gainesville, Florida. STC was incorporated, based on an earlier informal organization known as The Brotherhood of the Green Turtle, in 1959 by Mr....
, which helps to save and monitor sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. He was often joined in his conservation work by his wife Marjorie Carr, who was a major advocate for conservation in her own right. In 1952 Carr was awarded the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
The Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "for meritorious work in zoology or paleontology published in a three- to five-year period." Named after Daniel Giraud Elliot, it was first awarded in 1917....
from the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
.
Legacy
- Founder and Scientific Director of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation from 1959 until his death in 1987.
- The Archie Carr National Wildlife RefugeArchie Carr National Wildlife RefugeThe Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located along a twenty mile section of coastline from Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach, Florida along Florida State Road A1A. The 900 acre refuge was established in 1991, to protect the...
, which covers the beaches from Melbourne BeachMelbourne Beach, FloridaMelbourne Beach is a town in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,314. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The Ais Indians resided...
south to Wabasso BeachWabasso Beach, FloridaWabasso Beach is a census-designated place in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,075 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sebastian–Vero Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
was set up in 1994 in honor of his efforts. - In 1994, the Dr. Archie Carr Wildlife RefugeDr. Archie Carr Wildlife RefugeDr. Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge located within the Tortuguero Conservation Area, in the Limón Province of northeastern Costa Rica. The refuge is located north of the village of Tortuguero, between the Barra del Colorado Wildlife Refuge and the Tortuguero National Park. It is...
was established in Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in his memory. - Carr's son, Archie Carr IIIArchie Carr IIIArchie Carr III, PhD., is an American biologist instrumental in establishing the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in the nation of Belize. Carr worked closely with American biologist Alan Rabinowitz in convincing the government of Belize of the importance of that land area to the survival of the...
, is a well known conservationist, who coordinated Central American programs for the New York Zoological Society (now known as the Wildlife Conservation SocietyWildlife Conservation SocietyThe Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
); Carr III was instrumental in establishing the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife SanctuaryCockscomb Basin Wildlife SanctuaryThe Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve in south-central Belize established to protect the forests, fauna and watersheds of an approximately 400 square kilometre area of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains...
in Belize. - A book about Carr entitled The Man Who Saved Sea Turtles: Archie Carr and the Origins of Conservation was recently published by Oxford University Press. This book was written by Frederick R. Davis, Assistant Professor of History at the Florida State University.
- Carr's work is referenced in the 1985 romantic-drama film Turtle DiaryTurtle DiaryTurtle Diary is a 1985 British drama about "people rediscovering the joys of life and love," based on a screenplay adapted by Harold Pinter from Russell Hoban's novel Turtle Diary, directed by John Irvin, and starring Glenda Jackson, Ben Kingsley, and Michael Gambon.-Synopsis:Two lonely Londoners -...
. - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has named its newest building after Archie and Marjorie Carr.
Works
- Carr, Archie (1963), The Reptiles (Series: LIFE Nature LibraryLife Nature LibraryThe Life Nature Library was a popular series of hardbound books published by Time-Life between 1961 and 1965. Each of the 25 volumes explored a major topic of the natural world. They were intended for, and written at a level appropriate to, an educated lay readership.Each volume was written by a...
) - Carr, Archie (Marjorie Carr Ed.), A Naturalist in Florida (ISBN 0-300-05589-7)
- Carr, Archie, The Windward Road (ISBN 0-8130-0639-2, 1979 edition)
- Carr, Archie, (1967, 1984), "So Excellent a Fishe" (ISB 0-292-77595-4)
- Carr, Archie, (1964), "Ulendo; travels of a naturalist in and out of Africa"
- Carr, Archie, (1952), "Handbook of turtles; the turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California"
- Carr, Archie, (1973), "The Everglades" (Time-Life Book)
- Carr, Archie and Coleman J. Goin, (1955), "Guide to the reptiles, amphibians, and fresh-water fishes of Florida"