Richard Coward is a Marine Ecologist and Teacher. He has a BSc in Ecology from Griffith University, and a Diploma of Education from University of the Sunshine Coast. Richard established Ocean Life Education in 2006 and today is responsible for educating and inspiring thousands of students every year to respect the ocean and its inhabitants. Richard commenced his career running Sunshine Coast’s Underwater World (now Sea Life) education programs and was later promoted to Curator of Fishes. He went on to work on the creation of a new aquarium in South Korea. Whilst scuba diving there, he was astonished by the complete lack of marine life. This was the first time Richard had experienced first-hand the devastating consequences of human impact. This inspired him to take action. Richard saw this as a wakeup call. Thus, his passion for protecting the ocean and educating the community to do the same was born. Richard enjoys living near the ocean, his favourite holiday destination is Lady Elliot Island and favourite marine animals are turtles and whales. His nickname is Dugong.