Our Staff

Meet Nichole, a dedicated advocate for marine education and conservation. With a Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Conservation, specialising in ecology, and a Diploma in Education Studies, Nichole brings a wealth of knowledge to the Marine Discovery Centre. Having undertaken a meaningful internship at the centre, she is fueled by a profound passion for marine conservation and restoration projects. As an advanced diver, Nichole actively engages with the local environment, embodying a commitment to ongoing learning and fostering a deeper connection with our marine ecosystems

Hannah recently graduated from The University of Adelaide with a degree in Marine Biology. With a love for scuba diving and conducting experiments for ocean conservation research, she wants to travel and learn about marine environments all around the world. Working on the newly restored Glenelg oyster reef, her Honours project researched how we can combine multiple native species to increase restoration success! She found that using species that naturally occur together, like kelp, seagrass, abalone and oysters, improves restoration outcomes. She wants to share her love of the ocean and inspire the next generation that will inherit the Earth.

Olive is a current student at the University of Adelaide studying a Bachelor of Marine and Wildlife Conservation. Olive has a love and passion for all things conservation, nature, ocean and animals. Doing most of high school education in Perth she has grown up loving the beach and wanting to teach others about its beauty and how we can protect and care for our oceans and environment. She have been lucky enough to go snorkelling in some incredible places such as swimming with whale sharks in Exmouth and with reef sharks and turtles in the Maldives.

Olive loves engaging with people and being able to share her interests with the younger generations, she is a bubbly friendly person with plenty to talk about. Her spare time is spent at the beach, going on camping trips and spending time with her horse.

Janice, a wildlife biologist and a recent Ph.D. graduate, is passionate about improving human-animal relationships. Raised in Mumbai, she watched her family share a love for animals and her fascination with the natural world and wildlife began through nature TV shows, storybooks, and her teachers. Having relocated to Australia for her Ph.D., Janice's research aimed to understand the welfare of rescued big cats but further delves into social aspects of people's current perceptions of big cats. Her past commitment to conservation education and awareness led her to work in zoos, rescue centres, NGOs, research projects, and animal hospitals. In her free time, she actively volunteers with wildlife organisations and channels her passion into creating wildlife art and science communication awareness on social media.

Janice is dedicated to engaging with the community and sharing her enthusiasm for caring for nature. She loves exploring the Australian outback and wildlife. In her current role at the Port Environment Centre, she aspires to cultivate a strong connection between people and nature, fostering curiosity and appreciation for all living creatures.

Nomes is an ocean lover who just wanted to learn more about the marine life so she started volunteering at the MDC in 2023. As a child, her mother could never get her out of the ocean and she called her a mermaid. You’ll find Nomes swimming at any time of the year with her dog who is her merdog. Her favourite ocean creatures are the Narwhal, whale sharks and manta rays. She also has mad love for the strongest marine species - sharks.

Nomes also has her own business 'The Comfort Box' which is a self care business where her logo is inspired by the ocean. If Nomes is not at the MDC she is most likely working on the business or at the beach . Nomes loves learning and teaching others about the marine life and now every time she's at beach she's beachcombing. The ocean is different everyday and that’s why she loves it. 

Arabella is a current Flinders University student studying a Bachelor of Science, Marine Biology. She was raised in a small island on the western coast of the Philippines called Catanduanes. Arabella’s earliest and dearest memories were on the island, surrounded by luscious tropical greenery, fresh fruit and blessed with warm sunshine. Arabella has gained hands on experience at Flinders University through various research studies on Marine Ecosystems, Animal Ecology and Biostatistics. She has also been lucky to travel to New Caledonia through the New Colombo Mobility program. A two-week intensive study tour, learning and immersing themselves with the native culture and stunning environment. Through these experiences, Arabella aims to collaborate with other organisations and communities within the Indo-Pacific to enhance sustainable and eco-friendly and conservation practices. With the skills gained from Marine Discovery Centre, she hopes to share her knowledge and passion for the ocean, showcasing the lavish local beaches of the St Vincent Gulf to the younger generations, build connections and raise awareness on the importance of a clean environment for the maintenance of a healthy marine ecosystem

Donna joined us as a volunteer mid-2019.  She is passionate about the marine environment and sustainability.  Donna studied Marine Biology at Flinders University and has worked in invasive species management and Science Communications.  Donna is an avid diver and has spent many hours underwater on the South Australian coastline.  She enjoys talking about the animals at the discovery centre with visiting school groups and sharing her enthusiasm for our unique marine environment.

Chelsea is studying a bachelor's degree in geology at the University of Adelaide. Not only does she enjoy looking at evidence of ancient seabeds and marine life in the geological record, but she also loves to visit the beautiful coastlines we have today and marvel at the amazing marine life that has since evolved. Chelsea believes that sharing an appreciation for the marine environment with the wider community and inspiring them to help protect it is the most powerful way we can look after our precious oceans.

Nicholas is an International student from Malaysia. He is currently studying at the University of Adelaide for a Bachelor of Marine Biology. "I like marine creatures and would love to find ways to preserve our ocean. This is the reason why I study marine biology. In my spare time, I would like to do some sport for example swimming, basketball and hiking. I like the view of the hill so I will go hiking every week. I enjoy my internship at a marine discovery centre because I can teach school-age children on how to preserve our marine life"

Gavin has always had a fascination for the marine world and was fortunate enough to experience first-hand the wonders of ocean, while snorkelling among the Polynesian islands and having the amazing chance to see a reef shark and sea snake. These experiences inspired Gavin to pursue a Bachelor of Marine Biology at the University of Adelaide. Through his academic journey and internship experience at the Marine Discovery Centre he realised the importance of conservation and reducing anthropogenic impacts to keep the oceans healthy. In his spare time, he is often participating in social badminton and exploring different cultures through cooking, languages and travelling.

Hannah currently holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts, Certificate 3 in Business and Government, plus experience in childcare and running children's church. She is now currently studying a Bachelor of Science in Animal Behaviour following her passion for animals, wildlife, and teaching others to understand and appreciate nature. 

Janice joined us as a volunteer in late 2020. Growing up near the beach in WA she developed a love of the ocean from a very early age.

A keen diver, swimmer and walker Janice likes to spend every spare minute on the beach. She and her dog Ivy can be found walking between Henley and Grange in all weathers!

Since moving to Adelaide in 2020 she is thoroughly enjoying exploring the beautiful and diverse coastal environment of South Australia.

Maddie joined the Marine Discovery Centre in September of 2020, and is a pre service teacher specialising in Humanities and Social Sciences at Uni SA. 

Maddie loves being involved with the Marine Discovery Centre, as it allows her to learn and contribute to teaching and empowering the school groups who visit the centre. She is passionate about preserving our local coastline, learning about sustainably and understanding the diversity of our marine life here in Adelaide.  

Maddie is a part of the 2021 Coastal Ambassador program for Green Adelaide, becoming more involved with the wider marine community in Adelaide is something she enjoys most. 

Lucy has been volunteering at the MDC since 2019. She has an honours degree from Flinders University in Biodiversity and Conservation and has a particular interest in marine biology. She has a strong background in marine mammals, having completed a thesis on humpback whales, and also has participated in an overseas internship for sea turtle conservation. Her favourite thing about volunteering at the MDC is seeing the children’s excitement, attentiveness and enthusiasm when teaching them about the marine environment. 

Lauren started volunteering in July 2020 and works in Disability Support. Lauren joined the Marine Discovery team because of her love for marine life and the environment, and also to gain experience working with children.

Practically growing up at the beach, Lauren would spend hours swimming, surfing, diving- you couldn’t drag her away! Her favourite sea creature is the Leafy Sea Dragon, followed closely by the Seahorse, and is always super excited when the MDC Seahorses have babies! 

In her spare time, when she’s not underwater, Lauren enjoys baking and macrame. 

Tiff is currently working in disability support for children with autism. Her passion for marine life began as a child when she had the luxury of living in Coffin Bay. Rather than hanging out with other kids and playing she would stroll down to the beach, observe the jellies from the jetty, stingrays in the rock pools and the little baby crabs on the beach. Growing up in small country towns gave her the time to learn all about the sea life. To this day she still spends her free time at the beach! Her favourite saying is “all you need is a good dose of vitamin sea”

Tamika is currently studying Marine Biology at the University of Adelaide. She has always had a strong love for the ocean, but the experience of swimming with Manta rays in Hawaii really encouraged her to study Marine Biology. She has a keen interest in shark science and conservation, as well as an admiration for nudibranchs. 

She grew up travelling parts of Australia with her family, which is where her love for nature and the ocean stems from. She love's being outdoors and in the water, with her favourite activities being camping, scuba diving, free diving and surfing. She also enjoys underwater photography.

Tegan has been volunteering at the Marine Discovery Centre since mid 2018. Tegan grew up by the beach, and spent many hours combing through the rock pools for interesting sea creatures. As she grew older and learned more about the ocean, sharks and rays steadily became her favourite animals, and so she went to university and completed an honours degree in marine science in 2019. In Tegan's spare time she enjoys diving, playing the piano, and bush walking. Tegan is passionate about volunteering at the Marine Discovery Centre as it allows her to help educate and inspire others to find the joy in caring for the marine environment.