Beacon Professor Lecture by Professor John Cortes MBE: The Gibraltar Wall Lizard revisited

Prof John Cortes MBE received his D.Phil. from Oxford University in 1983. He is an ecologist and zoologist, currently serving as the Minister for the Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change, and Education. In 2018, he was appointed as a Beacon Professor at the University of Gibraltar. Prof Cortes has made significant contributions to ecological and educational initiatives in Gibraltar. He founded the Gibraltar Union of Students and was the first General Secretary of the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) in 1976. He served as Director of the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens from 1991 until he took on governmental responsibilities in 2011. Prior to his political career, he worked as a civil servant, ultimately rising to the position of General Manager of the Gibraltar Health Authority from 1983 to 1991. Additionally, he served as a Magistrate for 17 years and was elected President of the Gibraltar Magistrates’ Association in 2009.   In 2003, Prof Cortes was awarded an MBE for services to Ecology and the Environment.   He also holds a DSc honoris causa from Kingston University.  In December 2011, Prof Cortes was elected to the Gibraltar Parliament, resigning from his previous positions, and was appointed Minister of Health and Environment by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. Prof Cortes’ research interests encompass ornithology, plant and animal ecology, primatology, and conservation biology. His specialisations include invasive species, reptile ecology, cliff ecology, phenology of migration, and the ecology and behaviour of the Barbary Macaque. He also possesses extensive field experience in Gibraltar, Spain, and North Africa, particularly in Morocco.