Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Uzair Rusli, a proud alumnus of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), has dedicated his career to advancing marine science, conservation, and public education. His journey began in 2006 as a passionate student involved in sea turtle conservation, eventually leading to his current role as Head of the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU), Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), where he leads impactful research and outreach initiatives at the global level.

Hailing from Kuantan, Dr. Uzair holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from UMT and a PhD in Animal Physiology from The University of Queensland, Australia. He assumed leadership of SEATRU in 2017, using the platform to bridge scientific research with community engagement and policy advocacy.

Dr. Uzair’s research focuses on improving hatchery practices, hatchling energetics, and predator-prey interactions in Malaysian waters. His work has helped establish national standards for turtle hatchery management and enhanced understanding of environmental effects, such as sand type, humidity, and acoustic cues, on hatchling survival.

Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Uzair is a passionate science communicator, having appeared in documentaries, news, radio interviews, and popular science articles. He helped revise the Turtle Enactment 1951 (Amendment 2021), which ended legal sea turtle egg commercialisation in Terengganu.

Under his leadership, SEATRU’s volunteer program at Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary has engaged over 5,000 global participants. In 2022, he introduced Malaysia’s first Public Viewing Lab, a national gold medal-winning initiative linking scientific research with public interaction, at The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort. A second facility is being developed on the West Coast.

Committed to capacity building, Dr. Uzair has supervised numerous postgraduate students and leads a multidisciplinary team of 12 researchers exploring ecological and physiological studies, digital conservation, ecotourism, marketing, socioeconomics, legal frameworks, and bioinformatics.

His work has secured substantial grants, including a RM 500,000 Translational Research Grant, and fostered corporate partnerships with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, Yayasan Bank Rakyat, BERNAMA, RTM, Astro Awani, MajalahSains.com, RHB Islamic Bank, MISC Marine, Mr DIY, Aquaria KLCC, Laguna Redang Island Resort and many more.

Dr. Uzair serves as Chairman of the Board for Conservation Management Solutions (CMS) Sdn. Bhd., a UMT-linked spin-off commercialising digital conservation tools like the Turtle Imprinting Database System (TIDES). His entrepreneurial efforts focus on sustainability and innovation in conservation funding.

His latest initiative with UMT Ihsan and RHB Islamic Bank, Waqf for Wildlife, aims to raise RM5 million to support sea turtle conservation through Islamic philanthropy (Sadaqah Jariyah), beginning with Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary.

With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Uzair remains committed to inspiring change through research, nurturing future conservationists, and ensuring a thriving future for marine ecosystems.

Contact:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Uzair Rusli

Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS)

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

21030 Kuala Nerus

[email protected]