Lea McQuillan

Lea McQuillan is a marine biologist who has a keen interest in birds and mammals. She currently works during the summer months on Great Barrier Reef and in the winter months with cruising the Kimberley Coast on various cruise ships. After completing an honours degree in marine science, she worked on various international research projects including, coral reef habitat mapping on the second biggest barrier reef, which is in Belize. Lea also worked for the Santiago Museum on collecting invertebrates in macrocystis plants and marine biotype studies in the intertidal zone of southern coastal Chile. Working at the Charles Darwin Research Station and studying sponge taxonomy in the Galapagos Islands. Following a return to Australia where Lea completed her Master of Environmental Management in marine science, she worked for both the Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Western Australian Museum on various marine research projects for three years. A sea-change and career change coincided with moving from the research field into the tourism education field. Lea is passionate about the marine environment and indeed the natural biodiversity and is eager to increase everyone’s understanding of marine ecology, in particular, to promote and encourage marine conservation.