Kim Crosbie

Kim Crosbie is a former Executive Director of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and has been working in the polar regions since 1991.

Early life and education Crosbie is from Edinburgh, Scotland, and she completed her undergraduate degree in Geography at the University of Aberdeen. In 1991 Crosbie began conducting post-Graduate research at the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) at the University of Cambridge, where she gained an M.Phil. in environmental protection in the Canadian Arctic. During this time, Crosbie spent two seasons as field camp leader at a small temporary field camp.

Following completion of her PhD, Crosbie remained in the field of visitor management, leading expeditions to the Arctic and the Antarctic, primarily onboard expedition vessels, supporting groups of students, film makers, authors, artists and those simply interested in experiencing these unique environments in a sustainable way. She has subsequently described how such Antarctic tourism programmes "enrich a visitor’s experience of Antarctica by getting them involved and contributing to something bigger."

Career and impact Crosbie's Polar career began in 1991 when she joined the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, as a research student and member of St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Initially working in the Canadian Arctic, she attributes her love of cold places to growing up in Scotland. In 2005, Crosbie joined the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) as Environmental Manager and subsequently Operations Director before being appointed Executive Director in 2013.

Crosbie has published scientific papers and books with a diverse range of scientists and non-governmental representatives. Aspects of this work have contributed to the development of a series of visitor site guidelines both in the Antarctic and the small sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, as well as guidelines on wildlife and tourism and the use of new technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Crosbie has also addressed the topic of citizen science, outreach and education: "This is more of an opportunity than a challenge, through citizen science, we can create ambassadors for the continued protection of Antarctica and build on education efforts through social media and elsewhere.". Currently, Crosbie Chairs the Boards of Noble Caledonia Ltd and Salén Ship Management, is Chair of the Board of Trustees for the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust and is a trustee for Noble Caledonia Charitable Trust. She previously sat on the Board of the Polar Tourism Guides Association and is a current Member of IAATO's Executive Committee.

Awards and honors In 2016, Crosbie was awarded the Polar Medal for contributions to knowledge in the Arctic and the Antarctic

Selected works

Poncet, Sally, and Kim Crosbie. A visitor's guide to South Georgia. Princeton University Press, 2012. Williams, Rob, and Kim Crosbie. "Antarctic whales and Antarctic tourism." Tourism in Marine Environments 4, no. 2-1 (2007): 195-202. Crosbie, Kim. "Monitoring and management of tourist landing sites in the Maritime Antarctic." PhD diss., University of Cambridge, 1998.