Carr, Archie

No single individual did more to promote sea turtle research and conservation than Archie Carr (1909-1987). So entwined did he become with these creatures and the fight against their overexploitation and loss of habitat that the most significant wildlife refuge for loggerhead turtles in the world was named in his honor, and World Sea Turtle Day is celebrated internationally on his birthday, June 16. Carr's work with sea turtles began in the 1940s. His many publications written for general readers, including his 1956 classic The Windward Road, alongside numerous articles for National Geographic and other publications, brought widespread attention to the plight of these animals.