Mike Sugden

Mike Sugden holds a Bachelor of Science and a Diploma of Education. He is a Master Scuba Instructor having logged over 7000 dives and can be described as a man of the underwater world.  He has worked on research projects all over the world focusing on sharks and rays including a three year project on Ningaloo Reef W.A. with other shark experts from around Australia where a number of new species of rays were found.  Mike has been involved in Marine conservation, working on Steering Committees for the development of Marine Protected areas in Tasmania and also the working party on conservation of the Giant Kelp Forests of Tasmania.  Mike has worked with the WWF and CSIRO on shark and ray projects in the Philippines, Borneo, Thailand and India. This research work has followed on in the Dutch National Museum, the Taiwan National Museum and the Paris Museum.  Mike worked in 2012 on a global research project involving Universities around the world to survey the marine life around the planet. Mike worked with the team studying the South Pacific including the marine life of Tahiti, the Austral atolls, The Cook Islands, Tonga and Northern New Zealand. Mike has spent extensive time surveying the Great Barrier Reef and has also been lucky enough to work for the Darwinian Institute in the Galapagos.

Not always working in Tropical waters Mike has assisted with CSIRO surveys of Antarctica where he helped out on the IMAX film of the Adele Penguins at the French Antarctic Base.

Mike doesn’t limit his time underwater to research and education he has also been Australian National Scuba Champion twice and was crowned Australia’s Underwater sportsman of the year in 1980.  Mike calls the pristine coastline of Tasmania home and has been part of the Coral Expeditions team for the last eight years.