Ted N. Turner

In his role as VP of International Operations, Ted Turner oversees and manages all aspects of government and international regulation, legislation and permitting. Ted also monitors all international treaties and agreements pertaining to marine mammal and marine species trade and regulatory guidelines. He is among the most knowledgeable professionals in the area of behavioral sciences, international marine mammal laws and treaties, regulatory development and zoological research, public display and education. In addition, Ted leads the Company in concept development and has innovated some of the most exciting new facility and program concepts proposed in the industry.

A senior zoological executive with over 20 years of marine life management experience, Turner held the position of Vice President/Curator of Animal Training for SeaWorld Ohio for over nine years. As a senior member of the executive team, He also served as a member of Busch Entertainment Corporation’s New Product Development Team and Corporate Behavior Review Committee and was named Corporate Coordinator for SeaWorld Animal Training Research. Between 1988 and 2000, he authored and implemented a comprehensive and intense staff training program designed for Discovery Cove, Orlando, which was instrumental in the successful opening of this new theme park in the summer of 2000. Turner also developed five animal interactive programs as well as the initial animal design concept for Discovery Cove, Atlantis in The Bahamas and the United Arab Emirates. He has authored over 40 articles on animal management including book chapters for Smithsonian and Academic Press on the subject of behavior modification and enrichment for marine mammals. In addition he has given numerous lectures as an invited guest speaker for groups such as the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (Columbus, Ohio), the Great Plains Student Psychology Conference (Joplin, Missouri), the International Whale Symposium (San Diego, California), and State University of New York (Binghamton, New York) among others. Turner served as President of the International Marine Mammal Trainers Association (IMATA), an NGO representative for the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES – Kyoto Japan) and continues to help governments develop international legislation for the protection of marine mammals.