author
Stephen Leatherwood
1943–1997
A marine mammal scientist with a gift for making whales and dolphins understandable, he helped bring cetacean research to both specialists and general readers. His work ranged from field studies to widely used reference books, and it continued to influence marine conservation after his death in 1997.
1 Audiobook
Whales, dolphins, and porpoises of the western North Atlantic : a guide to their identification
by Stephen Leatherwood, David K. (David Keller) Caldwell, Howard Elliott Winn
About the author
Born in Ozark, Alabama, on October 12, 1943, James Stephen Leatherwood became known internationally as a marine biologist and cetacean specialist. He was often credited as Stephen Leatherwood, J. Stephen Leatherwood, or Steve Leatherwood, and his career centered on the study of whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Leatherwood published extensively on marine mammals and helped produce major identification and natural history guides that introduced many readers to the diversity of cetaceans. He worked as a senior research biologist at the Hubbs Marine Research Institute, and in his later years he was associated with the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation in Hong Kong, representing the Cetacean Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
He died in January 1997 at age 53. The memorial volume of Asian Marine Biology dedicated to him reflects the regard he earned in his field and the lasting value of his research and writing.