About Us
Ocean Education & Conservation is a program of Dolphin Research Australia. We are a grass-roots charity, dedicated to the protection & conservation of dolphins, whales & marine life through education, research and advocacy.
Welcome to our Ocean Education & Conservation online hub!
About Ocean Education & Conservation
Dolphin Research Australia’s Ocean Education Programs aim to raise awareness, connection and appreciation for marine life and ecosystems to empower communities to become environmental stewards and conserve our Blue Planet.
Our Ocean Education Programs engage participants to learn, connect and care for the natural environment. Our high-quality immersive programs and resources focus on the fascinating lives of marine life and ecosystems. Our programs and resources also outline the many threats facing our oceans, whilst providing guidance and empowering participants to take positive actions to conserve our Blue Planet.
We offer a range of ocean and marine education programs and resources for primary schools, high schools and community groups. We also provide training courses for citizen scientists, whale and dolphin watching tour guides, and offer keynote presentations.
It is up to each of us to help protect and conserve marine life and our oceans!
About Dolphin Research Australia
Dolphin Research Australia is a grass-roots marine conservation charity. Our mission is to increase the knowledge and conservation of dolphins, whales, marine life and their ocean habitats through research, education and advocacy.
Ocean Education & Conservation programs are part of Dolphin Research Australia and expands our capacity to deliver education, engagement and grass-roots actions across the community.
Meet the Team
Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins
Chief Executive Officer, Founding Director, Dolphin Research Australia
Dr Hawkins is a marine ecologist specializing in cetaceans, a wildlife guide and marine educator, environmental consultant and conservationist. Her passion for marine conservation and education led Dr Hawkins to establish Dolphin Research Australia in 2012. Dr Hawkins has over 20 years’ experience in marine mammal research and education. Her research has focused on the ecology, biology and conservation of coastal cetaceans in Australia. She has a particular interest in the social systems, communication, population dynamics, risk assessments and health of dolphins. Part of her ongoing research continues to focus on the long-term trends, abundance and social systems of dolphins in the Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland region. Her work has been published in international peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and international conferences (see publications). Her work has featured in a variety of media including New Scientist, The Australian and Animal Planet. She has also been consultant for numerous media and documentary productions including BBC’s Planet Earth series. Dr Hawkins is also an expert marine mammal science advisor for non-government organisations and government agencies.
Dr Hawkins is a passionate educator and has helped to develop academic courses in marine mammal ecology, biology, stranding and incident response, in addition to, cetacean tour guide and operator training and education programs for school students. She often is an invited guest speaker at different events and workshops for community and specialist groups. She has written numerous books and education resources for children on cetaceans and marine conservation.
In addition to her scientific and education roles, Dr Hawkins is also an artist and illustrator. She produces artworks in multi-media including watercolour, ink, block printing and textiles that are inspired by nature and caring for the Planet.
Isabela Keski-Frantti
Ocean Education Manager, Founding Director, Dolphin Research Australia
Isabela loves working with youth. Her background in education and psychology helped her develop resources and programs with a focus on self/group/environmental awareness. Isabela is originally from Brazil, where she worked as an English language teacher for more than ten years and got her degree in Bachelor of Psychology with a major in analytical psychology. Living in the Northern Rivers since 2004, Isabela has been an active member of the community through her hobbies and work. She is the sustainability coordinator, student support officer and school chaplain at the primary campus of Sathya Sai College, a Human Values based school. Isabela’s work involves ongoing collaboration with her colleagues, students, parents and the wider community to promote positive changes through ‘litter literacy’, waste management and wildlife conservation. Her passion for dolphins has inspired her to raise awareness about these fascinating animals and the environment through education and conservation. In addition to her education role, Isabela has completed a Marine Science degree at Southern Cross University and is an environmental consultant specialising in aerial surveys.
Merryn Dunleavy
Ocean Education Officer, Director, Dolphin Research Australia
Merryn is an environmental and marine scientist with a deep passion for the ocean and all its inhabitants. She is an avid sea turtle lover with over 9 years’ experience in marine turtle monitoring and research. Previously she was employed as the Scientific Coordinator with flatback turtles within a monitoring program in Western Australia, leading the scientific mark-recapture program for the season. Merryn also coordinated the Citizen Science Turtle Volunteer Program for the local area. She has worked as a Research Assistant with Dolphin Research Australia expanding her knowledge and experience in marine mammals. She is a passionate marine education officer, ecotourism guide and advocate of engaging local communities to help develop our next generation of citizen scientists and environmental stewards.
Lara Murray
Director, Dolphin Research Australia
Lara is a marine biologist who has been studying cetaceans for approximately 9 years. Her passion for the ocean and the environment started as a child living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Since then she has completed her bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and her Honours project on Australian humpback dolphins at Southern Cross University. She got her start in cetacean work with Dr Liz during her undergraduate degree, helping with the Byron Bay Dolphin Research Project and she has been hooked ever since. She has had experience with humpback whale acoustics, and dolphin sociology, ecology, and behaviour. She is passionate about conservation and education firmly believes in sharing this with the public to help connect people with the environment they live in.
Lara’s journey with Dolphin Research Australia began as a volunteer in 2011 as an intern. She later completed her honours and research assistant position with the organisation. Lara was honoured to be offered a position on the Board of Directors in 2019 and hopes to continue to contribute to the better understanding and conservation of both dolphins and the world they call home.
Pete Garbett
Bribie Island Dolphin Watch Coordinator, Director, Dolphin Research Australia
Pete Garbett was born and raised on the Gold Coast and has over 45 years of experience with cetaceans. He has worked with captive and wild cetaceans since the early 1970s, with Australian Whale Conservation Society, Queensland Museum, Society for Marine Mammalogy, Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation, Norfolk Island Whale Survey, Shark Meshing Community Liaison Group – Gold Coast, and Bribie Island Dolphin Sightings. He formed, and is lead administrator for, Cetal Fauna, a social media platform that disseminates a variety of information on cetaceans. Pete’s special interests are delphinid taxonomy and nomenclature, and his skills include proofreading and editing which he brings to Dolphin Research Australia.
Vivian Kalas
Ocean Education Officer
Vivian is a science and environment educator that has over 12 years of experience in teaching to students in schools and community workshops. She has a degree in biology and a graduate diploma in Environmental management.
For many years, Vivian has been a photographer, inspired by the natural world and involved in environmental activism and sustainability. The past 7 years she has been assisting with Humpback Whale and Dolphin research. She is a passionate about raising awareness of marine species and threats to their habitat and survival.
Alice Forrest
Byron Hope Spot Coordinator
Alice is a marine biologist and wildlife guide with a passion for the natural world and the creatures who inhabit it. As a researcher but also a divemaster & freediver, she’s a firm believer in the need to communicate the science as well as the intrinsic value of the ocean and what’s beneath the surface. After completing a Bachelor of Science (Biodiversity & Conservation) and Bachelor of Marine & Antarctic Science (with Honours), she has worked around her home country of Australia & the seas and oceans of the world. Her work as a scientist has led to her finding plastic inside commonly eaten fish in French Polynesia, discovering the most plastic-polluted beach in the world on Henderson Island (Pitcairn) and studying blue whales off Sri Lanka.
Alice believes that some of the best tools for conservation are connection and education, and uses her work in marine tourism to inspire people to be custodians for our planet. Whether it’s taking people to see penguins in Antarctica, exploring the frozen bays of the Arctic, or snorkelling with sharks and whales in warmer waters, she uses her degree and knowledge to inspire positive change and protect what she loves – our big blue planet.
Thank You Ocean Warriors!
We would like to thank Craig Parry, Jakob De Zwart, Franck Gazzola, Liz Hawkins and Angel Grimaldi that have donated all the footage and images that have made this website possible.
