UWP: RICHARD WYLIE

www.marinecentre.info

Richard Wylie

Richard is a marine biologist currently researching marine education in Australia and the Pacific as part of his PhD while co-founding and directing the Euakafa Island Research Centre.

He is a member of the IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas and the Commission for Education and Communication and was recently inducted as an International Fellow of the prestigious Explorers Club.

While he is a relatively recent convert to the art of underwater photography, his 22 year marine career and over 4000 dives means that he knows where to look for inspiration. His photos have won or been placed in numerous international and national photography competitions and used in publications ranging from online journals, articles in magazines, books and print and hung in galleries. His most recent publication was an article in the highly respected Australian Geographic along with 10 of his photos. He is a passionate conservationist - hence the work that he and his wife are doing in Tonga - and believes that photography is an incredibly powerful communication tool for any conservation campaign. His wildlife photography is deeply personal and his genuine love of, and admiration for, the animals he encounters - both above and below the sea - is clear in all his work. 

He is currently lecturing at Monash university's Education Department, RMIT University teaching marine biology for their winter program and NMIT teaching Molluscan Aquaculture to 2nd year undergraduate students. He has worked for the United Nations, New South Wales Fisheries, commercial pearling companies, NGOs, private consulting, Department of Education and Early Childhood Victoria, and various SCUBA diving companies as an instructor. His work has taken him throughout South East Asia, around Australia and much of the South Pacific while his current research takes him around the world presenting at academic and conservation congresses