Sea Turtle Biologist & Guest Educator, North Malé Atoll
Lauren grew up by the coast in a rural part of the UK and has always had a love of the ocean and wildlife. She further developed this passion for the environment during her BSc studies in Environmental Science and International Development, where her undergraduate dissertation on underwater noise and its impact on cetacean bioacoustics solidified her interest in the marine world.
Volunteering with the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation in Greece over a university summer to monitor marine megafauna sparked her initial interest in both turtles and fieldwork.
She went on to complete an MSc in Marine Environmental Management at the University of York, focusing on the social impacts of marine protected areas. She particularly enjoys understanding the connections between humans and our environments and how negative impacts can be reduced by targeted action.
After her degree she dove deeper into the world of marine conservation, undertaking various internship placements, ranging from whale shark monitoring and coral restoration in Honduras, where she gained her PADI advanced open water, reef health research in Egypt, to local conservation citizen science projects in the UK.
During this period, she also took on various roles in education and public engagement, serving as a teaching assistant and working as a charity fundraiser. Prior to joining ORP, Lauren lived by the ocean in Cornwall England, working as a project coordinator for the University of Exeter marine research group. She also spent some time in Cyprus with the Society for the Protection of Turtles monitoring nesting and hatching events for green and loggerhead turtles.
Lauren joined ORP in September 2024 as the sea Turtle Biologist and Guest Educator for North Malé. In her role, she manages the turtle rehabilitation centre at One and Only Reethi Rah, focusing on patient care for rescued turtles, conducts Photo-ID research on the local turtle populations, and engages in guest education and community engagement.
