Scientific analysis of headstart effectiveness has generated powerful basic biology that applies to augmenting tortoise populations that are on the cusp of minimum viable densities. Committing to evaluating headstart effectiveness requires long-term commitments of resources for long-lived, late-maturing species like desert tortoises, but enables assessments of fundamental vital rates, growth rates, and variables influencing them, to enhance effectiveness of headstart techniques. These programs also provide opportunities for serendipitous findings in basic and applied biology. The tortoise headstart program for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms California, has successfully produced 475 hatchlings and released 234 juveniles with hard shells, which improve resistance to predators such as common ravens. More releases will ensue. Headstarting has improved stock of juveniles (ten years old) to ten times that would occur in the wild, and released tortoises are being monitored for their survival, growth and long-term success post release.

Brian Henen completed his dissertation on desert tortoise physiological ecology in 1994, and studied the reproductive nutrition of desert tortoises as a Smithsonian Institution Post-Doctoral Fellow from 1996 to 1999. During this time he also studied the egg production, physiology and ecology of Central Asian Tortoises in Uzbekistan. At the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, he studied the ecology, reproduction, and health of southern African tortoises as a Post-doctoral Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Subsequently he worked for the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, overseeing many aspect of desert tortoise management, ranging from headstarting and health assessments to translocation and the DoI-DoD Initiative, Recovery and Sustainment Partnership for Desert Tortoises. Much of the research and management of tortoises focuses on conservation, as many chelonian species are threatened or endangered. Brian has served on the IUCN Species Specialist Group for Tortoises and Fresh Water Turtles since 2006, and published 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers and two book chapters.