Frankie Hobro 4th March 2020 1 - 2pm, with networking after until approx. 2.30pm MS.03, Zeeman Building - please bring along your University ID card to scan in.

Frankie Hobro is the Director and Owner of Anglesey Sea Zoo and an Alumni of Bangor University. Frankie has a long history working on hands-on conservation projects with critically endangered species in difficult conditions abroad, having worked in many different countries in both terrestrial and marine environments, and specialising in island nature reserve and endangered species management.

Frankie has always been a passionate advocate for conservation, particularly endangered species and marine conservationand has held many positions involving lecturing and teaching environmental, conservation, marine biology and ecology to various levels and ages, both in developing countries and elsewhere. Her hands-on field-work experience in island restoration and management and on critically endangered species monitoring and breeding programmes has gained her many practical skills including scuba diving, reef monitoring, abseiling and climbing, bird ringing, tube and hand rearing of birds and mammals, turtle and elasmobranch tagging and driving boats, as well as basic skills in other practical tasks such as plumbing, mechanics and DIY. It has also resulted in Frankie working in over 20 different countries across the globe, often in challenging and isolated conditions.

Having spent a large amount of her childhood in North Wales and on Anglesey, Frankie returned to do postgraduate studies at Bangor University School of Ocean Sciences in 2001, then after further work on island conservation projects abroad, she returned and settled on Anglesey 13 years ago when she bought the Anglesey Sea Zoo, becoming the sole Owner and Director of the business in 2013.

Since purchasing the business Frankie has transformed it into a unique product and it is the only exclusively British aquarium, housing only native species with an entirely natural sea water supply directly from the Menai Strait and specialising in the captive breeding of endangered native species for reintroduction into the wild. The Anglesey Sea Zoo uniquely focusses on sustainability, education, marine conservation and captive breeding and release programmes for endangered native species such as seahorses and lobsters.

Frankie has set up a successful bilingual education and outreach programme at the Sea Zoo, as well as a voluntary marine animal rescue centre, with the capacity to rescue and rehabilitate all kinds of stranded or injured marine animals, including mammals, sea birds and turtles. The voluntary and non-profit-making beach clean group based at the Sea Zoo has been running for over a decade and is funded through collaboration with Keep Wales Tidy and the Marine Conservation Society, carrying out beach cleaning events throughout the year with the results contributing to the global Beachwatch database for marine litter patterns.

Frankie is a Role Model and Inspirational Speaker for Big Ideas Wales, going out to schools, colleges and other organisations across North Wales promoting entrepreneurship and encouraging skills-based learning and experience, particularly promoting STEM and encouraging more women to follow careers in science and business, whilst also constantly working on increasing the sustainability of the business and local community involvement in marine based activities and projects. In July 2019 Frankie was received the prestigious award of Alumnus of the Year from Bangor University, during the last year she has also won the FSB Wales Environmental/Sustainable Business award, the Welsh Hospitality Award for Most Entertaining Team, the Go North Wales Tourism Green award and the Daily Post Green Business award.

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