Marine Conservation Trainers
Becoming one our Trainers means that you form part of the Conservation Diver Network, a group of passionate researchers and conservationists working together to help progress science and develop the best in class monitoring, restoration and protection protocols. By working together we are able to help each other better utilize scientific data and combine resources. Students are also able to develop their understanding across multiple locations, ecosystems and fields of study.
Our Trainers come from a wide range of backgrounds and interests, but all share a common passion of marine conservation education and the practical application of this knowledge. To be become one of our Conservation Diver Trainers you must show dedication and drive to produce research led outputs through your work and make real and tangible impacts to the environment you work in.
Board Members
Chad Scott
CEO
Chad Scott is the President and CEO of Conservation Diver. He founded the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program in 2007 and has developed many of the courses taught by Conservation Diver. Currently, he resides in Colorado, USA, where he is recovering from an illness. Despite his health challenges, he remains actively involved in the administrative functions of Conservation Diver and assists in the development of new conservation training centers globally.
Kirsty Magson
Kirsty Magson joined the Conservation Team in 2014. She serves as the manager at the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program (NHRCP) in Thailand. Kirsty specializes in the study of elasmobranchs and sea turtles. She is the founder of Thai Whale Sharks and acts as the stranding liaison for Koh Tao Marine Life.
George Bevan
George Bevan joined the Conservation Diver Team in 2015 after spending four years as a Strategy Consultant. He initiated the Azul Conservation program in Nicaragua and the Azores program, which concentrates on whale monitoring and conservation. Additionally, George founded the organization Daughters of the Deep.
Conservation Diver Master Trainers
Spencer Arnold
Drowning Sculpture
Spencer Arnold has been with Conservation Diver since 2014, focusing primarily on coral restoration. He is involved in the design and construction of artificial reefs and underwater sculptures. His notable works include the Sculpture Gardens on Koh Tao, which feature pieces such as "Despair," "Hope," and "Fight for the Last Life."
Leon Haines
Reefy
Leon Haines joined Conservation Diver in 2019 and went on to establish Conservation Diver Indonesia on Gili Air. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Coastal Resource Management from the University of Leeuwarden. Leon is now the co-founder of the reef engineering company Reefy and serves as an ambassador for the Blue Marlin Conservation program.
Andrew Hewett
The Adventure Club
Andrew Hewett is the founder and owner of The Adventure Club on Phi Phi Island, Thailand. This center provides eco-friendly diving and snorkeling programs aimed at educating visitors on coral reef protection. Since 2006, Andrew has managed the Phi Phi Island Coral Nursery and Artificial Reef program. This initiative, part of REEFRES 'Developing Ubiquitous Restoration Practices for Indo-Pacific Reefs,' is supervised by the Phuket Marine Biology Center (PMBC).
Conservation Diver Specialty Trainers
Cakra Adiwijaya
Gili Shark Conservation
Cakra, hailing from Bogor, Indonesia, has harbored a passion for conservation and diving since a young age. He completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Marine Science, with a particular focus on the socio-economic and biophysical aspects of nudibranch research.
Melisa Anderson
Ocean Alliance Project
Melisa completed an internship and Conservation Diver instructor training at our training center in Koh Tao, Thailand, in 2021. Following her training, she worked as an instructor at the center in 2022. She is now relocating to Hawaii to further her pursuit and passion for marine conservation.
Matilde Baruffaldi
NHRCP
Mattie joined Conservation Diver in 2021 after completing her master's degree in marine biology and an internship at the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program. Her research focuses on the interactions within coral reef ecosystems, particularly diseases, and strategies to minimize the impact of diving underwater.
Zach Boakes
North Bali Reef Conservation
Zach, a marine biologist and co-founder of North Bali Reef Conservation, established this non-profit NGO in 2017. Its mission is to collaborate with local fishermen and international volunteers to restore a previously degraded coral reef by constructing artificial reefs. Zach is also nearing the completion of his PhD, during which he is assessing the restoration of ecosystem services associated with coral reef conservation programs in Indonesia.
Matthias Desmolles
Matthias completed his internship at the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program (NHRCP) in 2016, where he developed a profound love for the marine world. He was certified as an instructor after working with ATMEC in Thailand. Having aspired to be a researcher since childhood, Matthias is now channeling this ambition into action by advocating for the integration of academic research within conservation programs.
Maisy Fuller
Gili Shark Conservation
Maisy earned her degree in Marine Biology from the University of Southampton, UK, and the University of Western Australia. Since her graduation in 2016, she has been involved in various tropical conservation projects worldwide, serving both as a researcher and an educator. Maisy also pursued a second university degree to qualify as a high school science teacher and has worked as an environmental adviser for the UK government. She is deeply passionate about environmental conservation and committed to reducing the anthropogenic threats it faces.
Harris_Bradley
Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville
Bradley Harris, holding a degree in Marine Environmental Science, has been a professional diver since 2009 and has dedicated himself to marine conservation since 2015. He completed the Conservation Diver (CD) instructor program at New Heaven in 2021. Currently, he is working for an environmental NGO in Tobago, furthering his commitment to marine conservation efforts.
Alexander Hewett
The Adventure Club
Alex is a part owner of The Adventure Club in Koh Phi Phi. As a PADI Specialty Instructor, he teaches a variety of PADI courses, fueled by his passion for the marine life surrounding the island. This enthusiasm has helped him develop a deep understanding of the local ecology. His areas of specialty include coral taxonomy and invertebrates.
Joshua Lewis
The Adventure Club
Joshua Lewis has been a professional diver since 2013. Throughout his career, he has cultivated a passion for conservation, dedicating his efforts to coral restoration projects across the Phi Phi islands in Thailand. He has a particular interest in the local blacktip reef shark community and plays a leading role in managing their Shark Aware Program.
Claudia Marcellucci
Black Turtle Conservation
Claudia completed her EMP instructor certification at NHRCP in 2019 and has worked on several conservation projects. She's now a specialty instructor at ATMEC, focusing on coral courses. Currently, she's the Lead Scientist at the Black Turtle Conservation Program.
Coline Monchanin
ATMEC
Coline discovered marine conservation with NHRCP back in 2017, and fall for it. She participated in several research and conservation projects both in Thailand and Philippines with Conservation Diver. After completing her PhD in biological sciences, she joined ATMEC in Thailand to become an instructor while pursuing enthralling research in coral reef ecology.
Kyle Obsborne
Bali Conservation Diving
Kyle is the manager of Bali Conservation Diving and has been working with local communities in North Bali to construct and deploy artificial reefs in areas of degraded coral reefs since 2017. Since joining Conservation Diver, Kyle will be developing further monitoring efforts in the region.
Marco Rodriguez
Blue Marlin Conservation
Marco is a marine biologist (Master's Deg. from JCU, Australia) and photographer from Mexico. He completed the CD instructor training course at the New Heaven Reef Conservation in 2022. He is currently based in South East Asia, and will be heading up the Blue Marlin Conservation program on Gili Air.
R. Basak Sevil
Black Turtle Conservation
Basak is a PADI MSDT who has been teaching professionally on Koh Tao. After she has accomplished the CD internship and instructor training program, she is actively involved in the Black Turtle Conservation program. She has an immense passion for preserving the environment.
Gigi Torras
Albatros Diving
Gigi is one of the newest additions to the Conservation Diver team. She is a Marine Biologist and owns her own dive center in Mallorca. Her love for the ocean, conservation and science has lead her to join Conservation Diver. Gigi is one of the four founders of Daughters of the Deep.
EMP Instructors
Matt Bolton
Black Turtle Conservation
Matt co-founded Eco Koh Tao in 2006. Since then through this program and his work as a Platinum PADI Course Director he as been been a key driver and support of marine conservation on the island. In 2021 Matt teamed up with Conservation Diver to form the Black Turtle Conservation program.
Media Team
Elisabeth Lauwerys
Photographer and Videographer
Elisabeth Lauwerys is an award-winning photographer and videographer based in Thailand. As an experienced Dive Instructor and Freediver, Elisabeth has long been passionate about exploring the marine depths. In 2004 she opened Oceans Below Underwater Video Productions and Training. She’s since created the dive industry’s first professional-level underwater video training course; won numerous international awards for her photos and videos, worked extensively with the BBC and other production houses on various documentaries and created new looks for the PADI promotional and marketing materials. She continues to teach the art of underwater video, but is increasingly focused on productions and traveling in pursuit of the most spectacular and diverse diving environments.
Jordan Walden
Videographer
Jordan’s background is in outdoor television production, and five years ago he left his home in the southern United States to travel the world teaching SCUBA diving. He became acquainted with Conservation Diver in Koh Tao, Thailand, and additionally collaborated with us on underwater video projects in Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. Jordan now lives in Western Australia, working on whaleshark and whale tours on the Ningaloo Reef in the winter and teaching SCUBA divers on the Busselton jetty in southwest Australia in the summer months. In his spare time, Jordan works on producing his comedic outdoor adventure series, “Dingus vs Wild”
Nicolas Hahn
Photographer and Videographer
Originaly from Argentina, Nico is a dive instructor, freelance photographer and technical diver. He has a passion for the marine enviroment and has been shooting underwater photos around the world. Now he is combining photography with technical diving to assist on research and document mesophotic reefs and its inhabitants.
Zoe Strapp
Photographer
Zoe Strapp is a professional freelance photographer, specialising in creating authentic lifestyle, travel, ocean and fashion photography. Zoe is also a passionate sustainability advocate, diver and surfer, with a Bachelor of Environmental Science & Conservation. She joined our Conservation Diver community back in 2015, and has a personal drive for capturing life’s in-between moments both above and below the water.
Tony Myshlyaev
Photographer
Tony Myshlyaev, known as Tones of Blue, is an underwater photographer based in Thailand. He is a lover of scuba and freediving and admires the smallest creatures all the way to the largest. With over a decade of photographic experience, he continues to document the ocean in his home base of Koh Tao and beyond.
Huw Penson
Photographer
Hailing from rainy London Huw is a freelance photographer & videographer living on tropical Koh Tao shooting for businesses and resorts across SE Asia. Having lived in Thailand since 2007 shooting a range of subjects above and below the water and can also be caught flying a drone for an aerial view under the alias “Koh Tao Drone”.
Aoibheann Gillespie-Mules
Master PADI Instructor + Photographer
Originally from Ireland, Aoibheann Gillespie-Mules is a Master Instructor with a Bachelor of Marine Science who has spent most of her diving years in the Philippines. Aside from training environmentally responsible role models, she has a great passion for photographing the delicate structures of coral reefs. She shares the beauty of corals and continues to educate and spread awareness, highlighting the importance of marine ecosystems. Aoibheann is also the co-author of the bi-lingual children’s book ‘Ocean Adventures with Cory,’ a project focussing on ensuring that marine conservation education and calls to action are grounded and accessible to the local communities that rely on them.
Advisors, Collaborators, and Friends
Nancy Gibson
Love Wildlife Foundation
Nancy runs the NGO Love wildlife Foundation and has recently opened a hub in Bangkok to enable collaborations between non-profits, NGO's and other folks doing good work. Her program protects local wildlife, and also has educational outreach and field based trips for local youth.
James True
In addition to having eztensive expreince in coral reef research and restroation, James True was instrumental in Developing the Conservation Diver Coral Spawnng and Larval Culturing program, James Led the first few years of this program in thailand, and continues to advise on related topics.