Operation Wallacea

Operation Wallacea is a PADI Dive Center based in Lincoln, in the United Kingdom, and it approaches diving through a distinctly academic lens. At its heart is a network of academics from European and North American universities who design and implement biodiversity and conservation management research programmes.

Who it suits

This is a natural fit for students and aspiring researchers. Learners join the programmes to strengthen their CV or resume, or to gather data for a dissertation or thesis, working alongside academics in the field. In turn, that fieldwork is supported by funding that helps researchers publish their work in peer-reviewed journals.

The model is built around collecting large datasets across time and space, used to assess how effective conservation management interventions really are. As a PADI Dive Center offering PADI scuba diving, with English spoken on site, Operation Wallacea is well suited to divers who want their time underwater to contribute to genuine conservation science.