Michael Chase
Conservation Policy and Strategy Specialist
New Mexico BioPark Society
Michael Chase was appointed conservation policy and strategy specialist at New Mexico BioPark Society (NMBPS) in 2025.
NMBPS is the support organisation for the ABQ BioPark Zoo, a living environmental park in Albuquerque that welcomes over 1.5 million visitors a year.
Here, he leads conservation policy and science for the BioPark’s Center for Species Survival. This IUCN Red List Partner focuses on freshwater fishes, invertebrate pollinators, reptiles, amphibians, and plants.
Projects include hosting the Global Workshop to Advance Freshwater Fish Ex Situ Conservation Assessment, the largest of its kind, organised in partnership with IUCN.
Additionally, Chase is responsible for strategic partnerships and champions the BioPark’s conservation initiatives through advocacy, events, communications, operations, and collaboration.
A wildlife conservationist specialising in environmental policy as well as species extinction risk assessment and the planning of effective species- and habitat-level protections, his experience includes positions and internships with both institutions and educational bodies.
These include SOS Animal - Grupo de Socorro Animal de Portugal, Justus Liebig University Giessen, University of South Florida, SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando, and Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, among others.
Chase earned a Master of Science in Global Change: Ecosystem Science and Policy from University College Dublin and holds bachelor’s degrees in both environmental science and policy, and integrative animal biology from the University of South Florida.
