Tony Amos, who started rescuing sea turtles off the Texas coast in 1982, was named a NOAA Environmental Hero last week for his role as the founder of the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) and Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve in Port Aransas, Texas.
Amos’s ARK rescues, rehabilitates, and releases sea turtles and marine birds found sick or injured in the areas on and around Mustang, San Jose, and Padre Islands. Amos and his staff also educate the public about problems confronting coastal wildlife and the impact of the increasing human population on coastal resources.
Amos founded ARK as a UTMSI employee, and he has directed and helped conduct the work of the ARK as a volunteer since his retirement in 2003. Much of the work of the ARK is conducted by volunteers, and Amos has inspired fierce dedication and loyalty in his fellow volunteers.
While collecting data on marine debris for the Marine Science Institute, Amos came upon numerous stranded and injured sea turtles and conceived of the ARK as a way to rescue and rehabilitate the animals. Although best known for his work with ARK, Amos spent most of his 27-year career with the Marine Science Institute conducting surveys on Texas’s south coastal barrier islands.
“Tony is a personal hero to so many who know of his work, and his life-long commitment to coastal wildlife recovery makes him an outstanding candidate for a NOAA Environmental Hero Award,” wrote his colleagues in nominating him for the award.
NOAA’s Environmental Hero Awards were established in 1995 to commemorate Earth Day by honoring volunteers who help NOAA carry out its mission — to understand and predict changes in Earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet the nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs. The award program also raises awareness about NOAA’s volunteer programs.
For more information contact George Cathcart, NOAA.
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