Hello everyone !

My name is Mark, a marine biologist from England who had the pleasure of working with the Marine Savers team from May to August 2016. I have always been passionate about marine life and conservation and since graduating from Bangor University (Wales) with a Masters in Marine Biology, I have been eager to gain as much practical experience in marine conservation as possible. After discovering Seamarc, Marine Savers and the work they do, I couldn’t wait to get involved.

During my time in the Maldives I was lucky enough to be able to spend time at both resorts – Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru – and had the opportunity to assist on a wide range of conservation projects as well as conducting the daily guest excursions. The teams at both resorts are a fantastic group of people and I enjoyed every moment working with them all.

Whilst working at Landaa Giraavaru I was also able to assist in the ornamental fish breeding lab; helping to spawn and rear the current clownfish residents. For me personally, marine ornamental aquaculture (culturing ornamental fish and invertebrates in captivity to supply the global aquarium industry) is an area of marine conservation that I am particularly interested in, having specialised in this field for my Master’s degree. I was therefore extremely grateful to be given the chance to work with the team on the various breeding projects in the lab. The following report highlights some of the work I was involved in (and you might also be interested in my earlier Marine Biology blog).

Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) Marine Savers Maldives

At home in England

At home in England my first ever job was working in a large public aquarium where I was surrounded by all sorts of amazing aquatic creatures on a daily basis. Although I loved the job, one thing that I was always conscious of is the fact that over 90% of the marine fish and invertebrates currently traded for the home/public aquarium industry are taken directly from the wild. It is estimated that between 1.5 to 2 million people keep marine ornamentals in home aquaria worldwide (Wabnitz et al., 2003) and it is predicted that this number will continue to rise as the cost of setting up and maintaining a marine aquarium becomes more accessible to many people. Due to such a huge reliance on wild stock to supply this industry, it has become a conservation concern as the vast majority of marine ornamentals are captured from coral reefs – ecosystems that are already under threat from human-related activities such as pollution, habitat destruction and global warming.

Marine ornamental aquaculture is now cited as the best potential solution for producing and supplying marine species for the aquarium trade. At present, the number of marine species that can be successfully cultured in captivity is relatively low, but thanks to constant advances in technology and greater knowledge of the requirements of certain species, this number is increasing. Not only will culturing marine ornamentals in captivity reduce the need to take them from the wild, it is well known that captive-bred animals have many advantages over their wild counterparts when kept in aquaria. This is because captive-bred animals are raised in tanks and so become used to ‘tank life’. Captive-bred animals also become more tolerant of changes in water chemistry and tend to live longer in aquaria.

In the Maldives, fishing for the aquarium trade is highly regulated in order to protect the reefs and safeguard tourism. These regulations are great for conserving the reefs, but they do limit the growth of a potentially highly profitable fishery. At the Marine Discovery Centre at Landaa Giraavaru, the ornamental Fish Lab was set up not only to help promote and educate people on marine conservation issues, but also to carry out further research into the breeding of ornamental species, with the aim of eventually establishing ornamental breeding facilities on neighbouring local islands. In the long term this would certainly benefit local people by providing an alternative livelihood to fishing.

Maldivian Clownfish Amphiprion nigripes Marine Savers Maldives

Maldivian Clownfish (Amphiprion nigripes) with eggs

Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) in anemone

Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) in anemone

My Work in the Fish Lab

The Fish Lab is home to two different species of clownfish, the bold and attractive looking Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) and the Maldivian or ‘Black-Foot’ clownfish (Amphiprion nigripes), found only in the waters of the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The breeding projects have two main objectives:

1) To produce captive-raised fish that can eventually be sold on to supply the aquarium industry.
Clownfish are some of the most popular marine ornamentals kept in aquaria worldwide. However, if we continue to collect these fish from the wild they may eventually disappear from the reefs altogether. Luckily, clownfish will readily reproduce in captivity and in the Fish Lab the aim is to produce happy, healthy and hardy fish that can eventually be sold on to the aquarium market. Studying these fish in the lab also allows us to better understand their life-cycle and allows us to refine and improve culture techniques.

2) To produce captive-raised fish that can be released into the wild.
Individuals are released when they reach a certain size in order to maximize their chance of survival. In the Fish Lab we were also looking at ways to culture host anemones such as the Magnificent Anemone (Heteractis magnifica) to provide the clownfish with a home when released. This will also increase their chances of survival in the wild.

The Clark’s clownfish (also known as the yellowtail clownfish) is a widely distributed species that inhabits tropical lagoons and outer reef slopes. It reaches 15cm in length and with its attractive coloration and hardy nature, has become a firm aquarium favourite.

During my time in the lab, there were eleven tanks containing Clark’s clownfish, six tanks of adult broodstock pairs and five of fish of various ages. There were also an additional five tanks that were set up for larval rearing. Each day in the Fish Lab I assisted with all of the feeding, cleaning and general maintenance of all the tanks containing A. clarkii. Feeding occurred twice a day; once in the morning and again in the afternoon. All tanks were cleaned every couple of days in order to remove any uneaten food and fish waste.

Fish Lab Tanks - Amphiprion clarkii clownfish - Marine Savers Maldives

Broodstock Pairs

The Clark’s clownfish is a monogamous species, with a dominant female pairing with a dominant male. There were 6 pairs of broodstock A. clarkii in the Fish Lab during June-July and several of the pairs were producing eggs regularly. The broodstock pairs were housed in separate rectangular 120 litre aquariums (60 x 47 x 50cm). Water inflow / outflow was constant and each tank was provided with aeration. Each tank also contained a host anemone of the species Heteractis magnifica (‘Magnificent anemone’) as well as a ceramic plant pot or tile to provide the hard surface which clownfish like to lay their eggs on. The broodstock pairs were fed twice a day, with their diets consisting of a blended shrimp paste and a dry pellet feed. Each day we would monitor fish behaviour and check for the presence of any eggs. In the days leading up to laying, adults were often observed cleaning and preparing the lay site.

On 23 June, the largest (and assumed oldest) pair of A. clarkii successfully spawned in the lab. The clutch size was fairly large and the eggs were attached to the side of their ceramic pot, which made the eggs very easy to spot for any visitors to the Fish Lab. Like others who have observed A. clarkii spawning in captivity (Krishna et al., 2015), the newly laid eggs were capsule-shaped and appeared to measure around 2-2.4mm in length. Once laid, the male was regularly observed fanning the eggs with his pectoral fins in order to ensure a continuous flow of aerated water over the developing embryos. He would also remove any damaged or infertile eggs so the clutch is kept healthy. The eggs also underwent several distinct colour changes during the following 6 days, changing from their initial reddish-orange colour to a striking silver. Once silver, the larvae’s eyes were clearly visible in the egg capsule and as in other studies (Swagat Ghosh et al., 2011) the eggs hatched within 12 hours of reaching this stage.

Fish Lab - adult Amphiprion clarkii clownfish guarding eggs - Marine Savers Maldives

Hatching & Transfer of Larvae

Hatching took place on the evening of 29 June under ‘black-out’ conditions. That evening at 20:00h, all lights in the Fish Lab were switched off and black plastic covers were placed around the sides of the broodstock tank in order to make the tank as dark as possible. The water flow and aeration were temporarily switched off. After approximately 30 minutes under ‘black-out’ conditions the larvae began to hatch out. Once the majority of eggs appeared to have hatched, a fluorescent light was then hung in the corner of the broodstock tank. The new larvae are highly photopositive and so move towards this light, enabling us to carefully siphon them off into a large bucket and into a larval rearing tank. Once the larvae were removed the water flow and aeration was returned to the adult’s tank.

The larval rearing tank used in this study was the same size and volume as the adult broodstock tank. Two 20 litre buckets of broodstock tank water containing larvae was added to the rearing tank along with 5 litres of algae (Nannochloropsis) and 1 litre of cultured rotifers. No further water was added to the rearing tank and there was no water inflow/outflow. A lower water volume is necessary in the larval rearing tank as it condenses the food source, meaning the larvae have to travel less distance in order to capture their tiny prey. As the larvae are attracted to light, all sides of the rearing tank were covered with black or blue aquarium backing and the tank was only lit from above. The tank was also given very gentle aeration and was then covered and left overnight.

For the first 12 hours or so, the tiny larvae naturally fed on their own yolk sac and then moved onto rotifers once this was depleted. During this time the rotifers were busy consuming the algae, making them more nutritious and a perfect first feed.

Larval Husbandry

Each day the larval rearing tank was cleaned using a siphon and bucket. On the first day of my study no water was removed from the rearing tank as the larvae were still consuming the initial feed of rotifers from the night before. From the second day onwards a water change was done every morning and if needed, again in the afternoon (a water change was required in the afternoon if there was a large amount of larval mortality throughout the day). After each water change, the number of mortalities was recorded.

Initially, the larvae were fed with up to one litre of cultured rotifers enriched with SELCO every morning and evening. SELCO (Self-Emulsifying Liquid Concentrate) is a formula that was used to increase the levels of Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (HUFA) in the rotifers making them more nutritious for the larvae. The amount of food given to the larvae was adjusted depending on how much food was still visible in the tank from the previous feed; this was to prevent over-feeding which could affect water quality. From day 7 onwards the larvae were also fed with newly hatched Artemia shrimp. At this stage, the larvae were developed enough to consume these highly nutritious crustaceans, but to prevent any water quality problems, only a small amount of Artemia (50ml) was added 3 times a day (10am, 2pm and 5pm). The larvae were fed on both rotifers and Artemia for the entire length of my study and by the time I came to leave the Maldives they were also consuming crushed dry flake food.

Growth and Development Study

Once in the larval rearing tank, I began to study the larvae in order to witness how they grow and develop. Each day I would take 3 random individuals from the rearing tank and measured their body length under the microscope. I also observed the larvae’s development, making notes on how the body shape, colour pigmentation, eyes, mouth, fins and tail all developed over time.

Results

My study of A. clarkii larvae ran for a total period of 30 days, with data on growth and development collected for the first 15 days of the study. This is because at around days 10-15 the larvae begin to undergo metamorphosis whereby they turn from their newly hatched form into miniature versions of their parents. Metamorphosis is very stressful for larvae and high mortality is often observed, so I decided to stop my growth study at the start of metamorphosis to prevent extra mortalities. Throughout the study period, the salinity and temperature of the larval rearing tank was recorded, with salinity maintained at 35ppm and the temperature range is shown in the graph below.

Fish larval tank temperatures - Fish Lab Marine Savers Maldives

Larval growth is shown in the graph below. As mentioned, I measured 3 individual larvae each day and this graph shows the mean length for each day. In general, larvae showed steady growth and development over the study, with the early signs of impending metamorphosis (tail curling) first observed on day 9.

Clownfish larval growth - Fish Lab Marine Savers Maldives

Although this early sign of metamorphosis was visible on day 9, the first larvae did not go through metamorphosis until day 15. From day 15 onwards, although I had stopped recording growth data, the larvae slowly went through metamorphosis and it was not until day 25 – 30 that all were completely metamorphosed. Although the majority of larvae did metamorphose shortly after day 15, I believe the reason it took some of the larvae so long was due to the gradual decrease in temperature from day 10 onwards.

From further reading, it was found that at a temperature of around 27 – 28 C the larvae would grow rapidly and go through metamorphosis in 8 – 12 days. At a lower temperature the larvae will grow and metamorphose at a slower rate. Therefore, I believe that if the temperature in the larval rearing tank had remained at 27 – 28 C, the larvae may have developed and gone through metamorphosis much faster than they actually did. However, as the water used in the Fish Lab is pumped in from the ocean, the temperature would fluctuate depending on weather conditions. Therefore, in future I would install an aquarium heater to keep the temperature in the larval rearing tank consistent.

When my time in the Maldives had come to an end I had successfully reared around 75 juvenile A. clarkii from tiny larvae into fully formed juvenile fish. As mentioned, ornamental aquaculture is a field of marine biology that I am very interested in and being able to work with the team on the fish breeding projects was a great experience. I would certainly love the opportunity to work on a project like this again in the future, and wish the Marine Savers teams at both Landaa Giraavaru and Kuda Huraa every success with their work.

References

  • Krishna M.V.R., Anil M.K. and Neethu Raj P. (2015) Studies on growth and development of hatchery produced juveniles of Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett, 1830). The International Journal of Science & Technoledge 3, 150-155.
  • Swagat Ghosh T., Ajith Kumar T., Nanthinidevi K. and Balasubrananian T. (2011) Hatchery production of Clark’s clownfish, Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett, 1830) using brackishwater. 2nd International Conference on Agriculture and Animal Science 22, 51-56.
  • Wabnitz C., Taylor M., Green E. and Razak T. (2003) From ocean to aquarium. UNEP-WCMC. Cambridge, UK.

Thanks for reading
Mark

Clark’s clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii) Marine Savers Maldives
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... sharks and rays and fish of every imaginable colour, living right on my doorstep, welcomed me to my marine biology internship. It was utter bliss.
I often lose myself in the work here: taking care of the turtles; accompanying guests on boat trips and snorkelling excursions; showing young children the excitement of what it is to be a marine biologist; the positive impact that we are making here ... the days are flying by.

Laura (UK) 2022

After graduating in July ... My first month here has been nothing short of incredible, with a variety of different projects keeping us very busy.
Coral spawning is an amazing event I never expected to be able to witness, with hundreds of floating coral eggs appearing like a blizzard of snow in the water column.

Matt (Singapore) 2022

Work is busy but always rewarding – it makes my day when the guests tell me how their snorkel excursion was an epic experience!
“I can’t believe you secured such a dream job … You are so lucky to live in the Maldives!” This, I know for certain! 😊

Jenn (UK) 2021

I have recently graduated in Zoology and taken a year out to gain work experience before starting my Master’s. Working here has been an incredible experience and there’s so much more to learn about the turtle, fish and coral work.
The internship is made even better by the fact that the Marine Savers team is amazing and it’s a tropical paradise here! 🌴

Ellie (UK) 2020

Kihineh (/kiːhiːne/) ! 🙂 Not a day in my experience has been anything short of sensational ... every aspiring marine biologist must consider the opportunity to live and work here as a dream and privilege.
Meeting people, young and old, from all four corners of the globe, educating and showing them our rich marine biodiversity and sea life has been wonderful.

Maanee (Maldives) 2020

Typically, each day involves a solid 7 hours in the water … which we LOVE! 💙 We finished with a grand total of over 18,000 coral fragments collected and transplanted!
A huge thanks to the whole team at Marine Savers ... We had an absolutely amazing time.

Martyna & Sorin (2019)

As part of my Master’s degree, I am researching the size of coral fragments on the overall health of the Reefscapers coral frames.
I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to gain experience in my field ... I’ve enjoyed every second and have made some lifelong friends.

Olivia (UK) 2019

I am in a gap year between my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to gain working experience ... across all the different projects ... I built coral frames, and helped with cultivation and rearing of the rotifers, artemia and jellyfish juveniles in the fish lab.

Lotte (Germany) 2019

I’ve spent ten weeks as a marine biology intern, and I’m having a fantastic time! There is so much to learn: Turtle care, Fish Lab and Coral propagation, turtle safari, night snorkel, dolphin cruise.
I was lucky enough to see around 20 Mantas feeding on the ocean surface … which was incredible!

Chathu (Sri Lanka) 2019

When arriving here, the first challenge is getting used to life on the island, your new everyday routine and the functioning of the Marine Discovery Centre. Luckily, all this is made as easy as possible by the friendly and helpful staff.
For my project, I will be assessing the growth rate of the coral frames that are located around the island as part of the Reefscapers coral restoration programme.

Louise (France) 2019

There are large numbers of adult Olive Ridley turtles drifting to the Maldives trapped in discarded (ghost) fishing gear, often wounded and dehydrated when they’re rescued.
With the annual coral bleaching event expected in the coming weeks, I hope to collect enough data to analyse the effects of shading the coral frames from the sun on the corals’ resilience to bleaching.

Julia (UK) 2019

For my intern project, I have been analysing the recorded megafauna sightings from our snorkel and dive trips. By collating the various species and different locations around the atoll, we can increase our knowledge about local populations and their movements.

Rafaela (Portugal) 2019

I’ve always wanted to visit the Maldives, so being an intern here at Marine Savers has been a dream come true … time has really flown by!
being able to watch beautiful sunsets while cruising next to 100 spinner dolphins is unreal … definitely one of my favourite parts of the job!

Juliet (USA) 2018

... the Marine Savers and Manta Trust teams are amazing people to work with and I thank them for what they taught me ... I gained here an impressive amount of knowledge and experience!
I also worked on a personal project, studying Acropora species corals under the microscope.

Léa (France) 2018

I’ve spent time learning about the different aspects of the Marine Discovery Centre: the turtle care, the Fish Lab and about the coral frames. After shadowing a few times to learn the ropes, I am now leading turtle safaris, guided adventure snorkels and dolphin cruises for the guests.

Saphire (UK) 2018

There was a lot to learn during my first weeks here, and it's all hands on deck with turtle rehabilitation and care.
My thesis is on coral speciation, but all my work with DNA fragments was confined to the lab, so it is exciting for me to fill the gap and finally be working with corals in the water.

Tiana (Hong Kong) 2018

Coming straight out of Uni, I never thought I would get the opportunity to even visit the Maldives, let alone work in such a beautiful place!
It has been a very exciting month, with some green turtle hatchlings from a nest at Landaa Giraavaru, and the release of one of our mature Olive Ridleys with a satellite tag!

Tori (Australia) 2018

My first few weeks have flown by! I’m working on a technique called coral microfragmentation, cutting corals into small pieces to study their growth rates.
I have also been leading some snorkel excursions and dolphin cruises, which is a wonderful way to explore the beautiful Baa Atoll area.

Thije (Netherlands) 2018

I helped improve the Fish Breeding Programme protocols, to increase the number of eggs laid, the quality of larvae and the larvae survival rate of the two clownfish species.
Swimming with manta rays with the Manta Trust scientists will long burn in my memory.

Jean-Gabriel (France) 2017

When I heard about the bleaching event of 2016, I felt completely powerless and didn’t want to just sit back and wait for the coral ecosystem to disappear from our planet. I therefore decided to work on coral bleaching, specifically trying to understand why some corals had survived these events whilst others didn’t.

Greg (Belgium) 2017

After spending several months with the Marine Savers team at Landaa Giraavaru, I can say for sure it was one of the best experiences of my life! I was able to help with the variety of different projects at the Marine Discovery Centre, and had the pleasure of working with an amazing team of dedicated biologists. One thing I really liked about my internship was being able to work independently and to have a lot of responsibility from the beginning.

Vanessa (2017)

I cannot believe how much has already happened in such a short period of time … during my first week, I learnt so many new things that I thought my head might explode!
Snorkelling is a big part of the job, and the best snorkel trip I have experienced included 15 reef sharks, multiple hawksbill turtles, a pair of eagle rays, octopus and stingrays.

Hannah (Australia) 2017

It is wonderful to share my marine passions and experiences with the lovely team at Marine Savers Kuda Huraa. I really feel so lucky to be living this tremendous experience.
Apart from enjoying my every working day, even my off-days are great fun too ! The ‘Tropicsurf’ guys have been helping improve my surfing technique, and I am finally able to perform a proper take off and enjoy the ‘Sultans’, the typical Maldivian wave.

Irene (Spain) 2017

Days spent at Landaa Giraavaru are always ones to look forward to, as each day has its own fascinating adventures.
I spend most of the time working with the 6 Olive Ridleys ... it is my first time being up-close-and-personal with injured sea turtles. We follow treatment and diet plans that specially cater to each individual patient, and each turtle has their own unique personality.

Lynn (Malaysia) 2017

The team were excellent teachers (thank you!) and everyone was very patient so I learnt very quickly.
I will always be eternally grateful for this opportunity ... A very sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart for everyone’s encouragement, hard work and dedication. My short time here has allowed me to learn so many things that otherwise might not have been possible.
The memories I have forged here will always have a special place in my heart ♡ … what a wonderful country!

Janice (Singapore) 2017

From literally stepping out of the airport and onto the resort speedboat, I was completely blown away by how amazing the Maldives is; hot sun, blue skies, and crystal-clear waters … paradise!
In my first week, I spent a lot of time learning about and working with the resident sea turtles ... Caring for these turtles has been great fun and each one has its own personality.
... we were lucky to encounter a large pod of false killer whales, which was an incredible experience!
The teams at both resorts are a fantastic group of people and I enjoyed every moment working with them all.

Mark (UK) 2016

The first week was a busy one as three new rehab turtles turned up in three consecutive days. I have also been busy with guest snorkel trips, dolphin cruises, scientific projects, coral reef monitoring and surfing world class waves at the local breaks!
I have been here for the last five wonderful weeks ... such great fun and every day is so varied ... to learn all I can about the amazing marine life in the Maldives.

Adam (UK) 2016

Each morning I caught the local 8:15 ferry boat … much better than the bus in Germany!
One day we went to a nearby uninhabited agricultural island, to collect some turtle hatchlings and release them out in the open water. Another great experience was the manta boat-trip ... for one whole day we searched for mantas in different sites around Baa Atoll.
All in all I can say that my 6 weeks’ volunteering ... was a great experience, I met a lot of nice and very friendly people and I learned a lot about turtles, fish species and corals in the beautiful tropical waters around the Maldives.

Nicole (Germany) 2016

The Marine Savers team is great fun to work with, and I couldn’t have asked for a better location to gain some experience in environmental conservation.
It was wonderful to be around so many people who share my passion for the underwater world, and I hope it’s not too long before I’m back beneath the waves in the Maldives!

Dhiya (Sri Lanka) 2016

Every day was a different adventure, with turtles to treat, corals to transplant, talks to give and dolphins to spot. It is always a thrill to (see) the juvenile Spinner dolphins, who stick very close to their mothers but are often the most acrobatic jumpers, putting the ‘spin’ in Spinner. Sometimes we were lucky to spot manta rays too.
I am very grateful to the Marine Savers team ... It has strengthened my desire to work in marine conservation and I hope to be back in the Maldives one day!

Roz (UK) 2016

You can see some breathtaking marine life here in the Maldives, and every time I’m in the water I feel constantly in awe of my surroundings ... 2 mantas at a cleaning station swam through our dive group, getting extremely close!
These activities, along with the people I have met along the way have ... made the experience so enjoyable and memorable.

Emily (UK) 2016

I had never seen a turtle this large before, which was a whole new experience for me in itself ... It took 6 people to get this amazing turtle out of the water and into the boat.
I have even started leading some of the snorkel safaris around nearby reefs, an incredibly rewarding experience to be sharing information and experiences with people. My favourite moments have often been on our dolphin cruises, the incredible spinner dolphins never cease to amaze me as they throw their bodies high above the water surface. That is certainly a sight I will never get tired of!

Sophie (UK) 2015

Taking time off work to travel all the way to the Maldives to care for sea turtles might seem a crazy idea to some; for me, however, it was the chance of a lifetime. This was the perfect opportunity to leave my office desk in the concrete jungle of Hong Kong and take part in something meaningful in a unique part of the world.
I have had a tremendous time, and have made friends with a lot of lovely people from around the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would definitely like to come back some day to visit everyone… and the sea turtles too, of course!

Keith (Hong Kong) 2015

Winy and Hazel had a very busy and enjoyable time, working with our turtle care patients and the Reefscapers coral propagation programme.
They also helped with an important reef clean-up, and had a memorable day releasing baby turtle hatchlings into the ocean.

Winy & Hazel (Hong Kong) 2015

Every day since I have arrived has been an adventure!
I am witnessing new and amazing things every day, from sunsets to 'Spanish Dancers' ! It’s a wonderful experience as we share underwater marine life encounters, and I have actually lost count of how many sharks, dolphins and turtles I’ve encountered since I arrived ... and it’s magical every time.

Cath (UK) 2015

The care and rehabilitation of the turtles here is very satisfying work.
In just a short few weeks, I have seen Spinner Dolphins, Hawksbill Turtles, Black Tip Reef Sharks and of course lots of colourful and varied marine life ... a wonderful moment each time!

Mailis (Belgium) 2015

All of the experiences have allowed me to make many new friends and gain knowledge and memories that will never be forgotten.
Thank you to everyone for making my time here so enjoyable!

Beth (UK) 2015

A very enjoyable part of my job is spreading awareness to the public, to promote better understanding and appreciation for the marine ecosystem. We recently organised a school excursion ... seeing these enthusiastic children learning about the environment brings me joy and hope.
My time here has been an amazing experience ... more than just swimming with the fishes and being surrounded by beautiful reefs!

Adrelia (Singapore) 2014

Frédéric was a PhD student and lecturer at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, specialising in ecology and tropical marine biology.
During his time with us, Frédéric researched indigenous Echinoderms, and possibly discovered a previously undocumented new species of sea cucumber.

Frédéric (France) 2014

Glen worked with us in 2014, developing a shark population survey to study local populations of Blacktip Reef sharks using a variety of survey methods including underwater camera traps, and snorkel surveys.

Glen (UK) 2014

One of our first interns, Dylan (from Singapore's Temasek Polytechnic) had an amazingly unique experience with us.
Firstly, he helped with the rescue of a stranded false killer whale 'Haita' (although she sadly did not survive rehabilitation).
And then he was invited to the “Marine Mammal Stranding Symposium” (February 2013), to present our work and findings to fellow marine biologists.

Dylan (Singapore) 2012