Andy Lewis boasts a great overview of some of the best coral reefs of the world. His work centres on delivering sustainable reef ecology.
Andy is a marine ecologist, who has travelled and studied vast bodies of waters, including the likes of West Papua New Guinea in Indonesia, Australian Great Barrier Reef and the Solomon Islands. He is on the mission to raise awareness about the beauty of the coral reef ecosystem and how vital its health is to the whole planet.
Andy Lewis is very interested in the natural world. During his childhood, he enjoyed a great deal of freedom. His family had a boat, which he used to explore neighbouring islands, and a motorbike, which he would hop on anytime to disappear in the wilderness.
Andy studied Marine Biology at James Cook University, where his goal was to go straight to research on marine science and getting out to the reef. During the first few months of his degree, Andy decided he will take up a postgraduate doctoral degree in coral reef ecology and be part of it as much as he could.
Now, Andy is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Coral Sea Foundation. He is the captain, leading the collaborative effort of teams from Australia, PNG, Indonesia and the Philippines, whose ultimate destination is to the development of sustainable reef management.
In this interview, Andy shares his insights on coral reefs and why this ecosystem is essential to the future of the globe. He talks about his on-going research projects on one of Australia’s greatest treasures, the Great Barrier Reef. These include research looking at coral bleaching as well as coral resilience and recovery.
Andy also tells stories of some of his most memorable expeditions and offers advice for people wanting to study marine biology.
