Friends of Havenworth Coastal Conservation

Tonya Wiley established Havenworth Coastal Conservation in 2010 to promote the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources through research, outreach, and education. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, Tonya received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Fisheries from Texas A&M University at Galveston in 1998. Following graduation, she completed internships with the South African White Shark Research Institute and the U.S. Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division. Tonya previously worked for the Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as a Marine Finfish Hatchery Technician, Ecosystem Management Technician, and Fisheries Outreach Specialist; and for Mote Marine Laboratory’s Center for Shark Research Sawfish Research Project conducting conservation biology studies of the endangered smalltooth sawfish. Tonya then founded Havenworth Coastal Conservation to combine her passions for conservation research and public outreach to promote the protection of imperiled marine species and their habitats. Tonya’s current research focuses on investigating the occurrence, distribution, habitat use, movements, and trends of endangered smalltooth sawfish, sharks, and rays in the greater Tampa Bay region of Florida to inform conservation and management. She conducts public outreach for promoting sawfish conservation and encouraging public reporting of sawfish interactions to ensure the recovery of endangered sawfish in the United States. Tonya currently serves as the Leader for the U.S. Sawfish Recovery Team, comprised of partners from federal and state government, non-government organizations, universities, and the fishing industry, who are the leaders of the research, outreach and education, and management efforts in the United States to protect remaining sawfish while also rebuilding the population.