Having completed his internship and training with ATMEC, Tommy has now joined the team as a researcher and supporting instructor at the program. During his training, Tommy was certified to teach the Ecological Monitoring Program, and gained experience in a large array of reef-associated skills such as giant clam surveys and anthozoan taxonomy. Alongside his role as an instructor, he is also responsible for maintaining boat and laboratory facilities as well as conducting his own research on seaslugs and coral reef ecology.

Random Fact: Even today, it is unclear if Tommy is a bigger nerd about coffees or nudis. Some are too scared to find out.

Ploy was the first instructor training scholarship recipient at ATMEC. She completed her internship at the end of 2021 and began a semester as a staff member in 2022. All the while, she has also pursued her own research efforts in variable stress response in restored corals. Her special skills include expertise with zoom calls and a hatred of jackfruit.

A fellow recipient of the 2021 ATMEC instructor training scholarship, Jeep has been (as you can see) a unique addition to the team. He joined the staff team in 2022 while continuing his exciting research on substrate colonisers and coral taxonomy. His friendliness and positive attitude is only surpassed by his unique relationship with carbonated beverages.