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Q
Q&A.

AND A

ALICIA URWIN

Marine Biologist & Master Reef Guide
Quicksilver Connections

What’s your earliest memory about loving the sea?
My earliest memory of loving the sea comes from some books I got when I
was six years old, living in inland rural Victoria. Written by Steve Parish, one
was about the rainforest and the other, the ocean. For some reason I was very
drawn to those books and loved reading and re-reading about all the animals
that lived in the ocean.

How do you see your role as a Quicksilver Marine Biologist?
As an educator and ambassador! So many visitors come to the Great Barrier
Reef every year. I love to inform them about cool animal facts, but also
educate them on the science, impacts and what they (the visitors) can do to
help protect its future.

What inspired your journey into marine biology?
I’m the walking cliché, “I’ve wanted to do this since I was a kid!” My favourite
characters, dolphins, in the Steve Parish book inspired me, I was just drawn What is your favourite marine species and why?
to them! I went to Seaworld in San Diego when I was 10 years old and that
sealed the deal. However, I knew then that I wanted to be behind the scenes, In case you haven’t guessed yet – dolphins! I love dolphins, more
to watch and study them. A careers counsellor at high school then helped importantly I love their intelligence. They are only one of three
me identify my pathway into Marine Biology and I will be forever grateful. species known to actually have names for themselves and others
in their pods (the others are apes and humans). Their social
structures are very similar to ours but they have the handicap of
How did you find your way to Port Douglas? being mammals in an environment that doesn’t allow them to hold
I saw a job advertisement for a Marine Biologist in Port Douglas. I will be their breath forever, so learning about how they have to navigate
honest and say I knew next to nothing about Port Douglas, only that it was a their ocean home and yet still obtain such intelligence and social
town on the Great Barrier Reef and my move there was making my friends structures is fascinating.
jealous! It wasn’t until I arrived here that I saw what all the fuss was about.
This place was amazing! It was everything I could have hoped for – warm, What made you want to become an accredited Master Reef
tropical, beautiful setting, with heaps to see and do. It reminds me so much Guide?
of Hawaii. Growing up in an Army family, I’ve lived in a lot of places but I
feel more at home here than I have anywhere else in the world. I loved the concept and wanted to be a part of that. I found it
amazing that the Federal Government took a select group of people
who worked up and down the Reef and trained them to be “the
What advice would you give to people who are considering a career as a best of the best”. This awesome group of people with their extensive
Marine Biologist? raw knowledge were taken to a special intensive one-week field
Really ask yourself: Why do you want to be a marine biologist? What do school where they were trained by experts from the Great Barrier
you want to achieve? It is very competitive so do everything you can to help Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). I saw it as an amazing
yourself stand out. And also volunteer, volunteer, volunteer! If you can get opportunity to fully hone my marine environment interpretation
your minimum divemaster diving certification and coxswain commercial skills so visitors to the Reef had the full knowledge of not just
boat licence, it really does put your foot ahead of others who may not have myself, but also the research collected from GBRMPA.
those certificates.
82 Port Douglas Magazine & Travel Planner