Yves Jean is a biologist who has a PhD in Animal Ecology from the University of Sherbrooke. He is a professor of Environmental Sciences at the TÉLUQ since 1986. Over the past 30 years, he has been involved in many international projects working with various European, African and Latin American countries. He is also an associate professor at the NSU Oceanographic Centre in Florida and has worked in the field to track marine mammals in the St. Lawrence and the Caribbean. He volunteers for various conservation organizations, including the Réseau Québec Maritime and the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), where he has been an advocate and a volunteer for over 30 years. He was recently awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his achievements and commitment to conserving wildlife in Canada and abroad.