Onboard with Purpose: Introducing the Coral Futures Expedition Team
This December, join a select group of just 60 travellers on our limited-edition voyage — Coral Futures: A Citizen Science Expedition. This is a rare chance to explore the Great Barrier Reef in the company of some of Australia’s most respected scientific minds.
In partnership with Australian Geographic, this seven-day journey blends adventure, discovery, and purpose. It’s a hands-on mission to understand, protect, and preserve one of the world’s most extraordinary natural wonders.
From snorkelling vibrant coral gardens to cruising remote mangrove channels, guests will take part in meaningful conservation work that supports real-world initiatives like the Forever Reef Project, Coral Watch, and Eye on the Reef. You’ll survey coral colonies, learn about reef health, help document biodiversity, and witness firsthand the science behind reef restoration—all while soaking in the beauty and magic of the Reef.
Alongside you will be a team of expert hosts—renowned scientists, educators, naturalists, and photographers—ready to share their passion, insight, and experience. This is more than a voyage; it’s your opportunity to make a difference for the reef’s future.
Dr Dean Miller is a scientist, conservationist, and multimedia professional with a Ph.D. in coral reef management, tourism and resource allocation and a wealth of scientific experience in the field from Antarctica to the Arctic and everywhere in between. He has been involved in over 300 ocean expeditions on ships all over the globe, but the Great Barrier Reef has been his main focus for the past 25 years. Dean is the Managing Director and co-founder of the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, a non-profit organisation in Far North Queensland. Their flagship program, the Forever Reef Project, that Dean also created and is the project leader of, is collecting all species of Great Barrier Reef hard corals and keeping them alive in state of the art holding facilities for their ultimate conservation, and to make live corals, tissue samples and genetic material available for reef research and restoration efforts. This ‘coral ark’ is currently holding 179 species of coral, and aims to collect all 415 by 2026. This is Australia’s only living coral biobank, and the planet’s most biodiverse collection, making this one of the largest conservation efforts for coral reefs worldwide.
Dr Robin Beaman is a marine geologist and ocean mapping scientist based at James Cook University in Cairns, leading efforts to reveal Australia’s vast underwater landscape. Ocean mapping improves our understanding of the geological origins and nature of the seafloor, the distribution of marine life, and contributes to managing Australia’s marine jurisdiction. Robin has 30 years’ experience in marine geology research and mapping expeditions involving various academic institutes, government, industry, and philanthropy organisations. Research topics include the study of drowned (submerged) reefs and mesophotic (twilight) coral ecosystems, submarine canyons and turbidite sediment gravity flows, underwater landslides and debris fields, and the deep-water marine life that inhabits these large-scale geological features. Robin’s passionate interest is to develop the most comprehensive and accurate 3D depth models for the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, and to share with the public how we map and explore the ocean and to share these new discoveries.
Murray Hunt is a professional wildlife guide with a specific passion for birds. Murray has decades of experience working in Kakadu, Uluru, Cape York, Lamington National park, Kangaroo Island and Central Australia, as well as being part of some incredible bird conservation programs in New Zealand. Murray joins the expedition team to spot and identify birdlife and contribute his sightings to citizen science programs. Murray will also share with us his intricate knowledge of mangrove ecosystems which is where he spends most of his time running his own bird watching river cruise on the Daintree River in Far North Queensland.
Andrew Ryan is an experienced Senior Teacher specializing in Marine Science and Agricultural Practices. Andrew has combined his love of agriculture and the Great Barrier Reef to educate students on how human land use impacts the reef—and how these impacts can be managed and monitored. Andrew leads his students in citizen science reef monitoring exercises that facilitate data collection, analysis, and evaluation, helping them understand the effects of human interactions on the GBR. A passionate advocate for reef protection, he is dedicated to inspiring the next generation with his enthusiasm and knowledge. Andrew joins the expedition team to train passengers in citizen science methodology and coordinate and carry out surveys.
Brett Lobwein’s passion for photography is rivaled only by his wanderlust for exotic travel. Whether shooting Silky Sharks in Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen, Pengiuns in Antarctica, Polar Bears in the Arctic, Orcas in Norway or Seal in Narooma. Aligned with his love for the ocean and its inhabitants, Brett is also a strong advocate of protecting our oceans and environment by raising awareness around excessive use and demand for single-use plastics. His images have won numerous international photography awards and have been published worldwide. Brett joins as the expedition photographer and expert tutor so you can get the most out of your personal photographic experience, or simply enjoy Bretts art in action.