Alex O’Brien

Alex is a marine biologist and conservationist with a keen interest in practical conservation and academic research, with a background in reef monitoring and coral restoration. His first involvement with Operation Wallacea came in 2019 as a Reef Ecology Lecturer on Utila, Honduras.

Following a period as an aquaculture technician in Australia, Alex returned to Utila to train as a SCUBA instructor and took on the role of Director of Conservation, collaborating with the Utila Dive Centre (UDC), the Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA), and other local NGOs. During this time, he led a monthly ecology and conservation internship, with fieldwork culminating in coral reef monitoring surveys. He also managed coral nurseries, discovered the presence of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) on Utila’s reefs, and coordinated volunteers for monitoring turtle nesting beaches.

He returned to the UK to take up his current position as our Marine Research and Operations Manager, leveraging over a decade of experience in marine conservation and applied research. He now directs the development and implementation of our global marine research projects and oversees SCUBA diving operations, field courses, and the Honduras project for Operation Wallacea.