Dr Ben Sturgeon
Chief Executive Director
Ben is a qualified veterinary surgeon working in academia and practice for over 20 years before devoting himself to animal welfare and One Health. He is a published author or scientific research, academic texts, opinion pieces, and lay articles.
My role is to ensure that we approach each day with our Mission and Vision in mind, that as a team we are focused on the issue and that we strive to reach it following our values. The team is extremely dedicated and all work beyond their asked of them. I am proud to lead and be part of such a team.

Joined CC:
Favourite decapod and why, or favourite decapod fact:
My favourite decapod crustaceans are crabs because “they blow all evolution apart” - the pom pom crabs (Lybia lessellata) who carry tiny sea anemones on its claws which it uses for food gathering, defence from predators, and fighting like boxers with other crabs; the fiddler crabs (Tubuca coarctata) who look like tiny colourful gems in the mangrove swamps and have a overlarge and very orange fighting claw which they use to protect their burrows from fellow interlopers; the Mandarin crab (Geosesarma notophorum) who bucks natures normal aquatic trend of having millions of eggs and only lays 8-12 carrying her brood on her back; the Bromeliad crab (Metopaulias depressus) that shows advanced maternal behaviour akin to birds and would put many vertebrates to shame by catching prey for her young; the Robber crab (also called the coconut crab) who eats pretty much anything and is one of the theories for the disappearance of Amelia Earhart who crashed in Kiribati; the Arrowhead crab (Huenia heraldica) who can change the shape of its carapace and legs to match the area they live in (they also plant themselves with small algae to provide camouflage); and finally the Flotsam crab who has a cushy life hitching free rides on loggerhead sea turtles, catching views of the open ocean as they travel nestled between the carapaces and tails. Here, they’re safe from predators, and typically ride along with a mate to reproduce and have a friend. What a great way to see the world!