Aristide Takoukam Kamla

Aristide Takoukam Kamla is a National Geographic Explorer, Whitley Award winner, marine researcher, and conservationist. Since 2008, Kamla has worked on the conservation of the African manatee and other large aquatic wildlife in Cameroon, his native country. In 2011, he completed a master's degree in animal biology at the University of Dschang in Cameroon. In 2014, he founded the African Marine Conservation Organization, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of aquatic species. To address the knowledge gap for aquatic species in Cameroon, that year he established a small fisher sighting network and built a mobile app called SIREN to facilitate data collection and sharing by volunteer fishers. In 2014 Aristide obtained the prestigious Fulbright scholarship to pursue a doctoral degree in veterinary medical sciences from the University of Florida, US and graduated in December 2019 . He initiated the first biological control approach to restore the African manatee habitat in Lake Ossa from the proliferation of the invasive plant species Salvinia molesta. Aristide is also a scuba diver and conducted the first scientific dive expedition in Cameroon.