Ocean First Sustainable Dive Leader Program
Elevate Your Dive Career with Sustainability and Science
The Ocean First Sustainable Dive Leader Program is a 5-day professional development course held at MarineLab in Key Largo, Florida, designed for certified divemasters and instructors from any agency. This hands-on training equips dive professionals with the tools to integrate marine science education and sustainable diving practices into their work.
Led by marine biologists and industry experts, the program includes academic sessions, fish surveys, scientific diving, and workshops on:
• Marine, shark, and turtle ecology
• Coral reef biology and fish ID
• Sustainable business practices in dive operations
Participants receive digital course materials, teaching resources, and personalized guidance to adapt sustainability strategies to their business model—ideal for professionals tapping into the growing eco-tourism and sustainable adventure travel market.
Meet the Program Contributors
Dr. Alex Bryske
Sustainable tourism expert Dr. Alex Brylske, former Marine Science and Technology Professor at the College of the Florida Keys, authored the Ocean First Sustainable Dive Leader course. Alex's background combines training as an educator and marine biologist with a highly successful career in the scuba industry. This has given Alex a unique understanding of both marine resource management and marine tourism. For more than four decades, he has partnered with the private sector, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations to create innovative marine conservation programs that combine responsible tourism practices and citizen science initiatives.
Alex's honors include NOAA's prestigious Walter B. Jones Memorial Excellence Award for Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and the 2012 DAN/Rolex Diver of the Year. He is the author of numerous courses, seminars, and books, including Beneath the Blue Planet: A Diver's Guide to the Ocean and The Complete Diver: The History, Science, and Practice of Scuba Diving.
Cathy Christopher
Cathy grew up in northeast Ohio knowing that she loved science - biology specifically - from an early age. While her interest in marine science started with whales, by the time she got to undergrad, she was enamored with the invertebrates. While in grad school at Florida Atlantic University, Cathy earned her Open Water and Nitrox scuba certifications and gained experience with various projects about birds and sea turtles and everything in between. Cathy moved from Florida to Colorado in 2015 to work full time for Ocean First Education (OFE) where she and the rest of the team develop K-12 marine science content. If you've taken any of the SSI Ecology courses, you're already familiar with the work done by OFE – the two companies partnered several years ago to make marine science education more accessible to divers. In 2017, Cathy became a dive instructor for Ocean First and enjoys pointing out the unique invertebrates she comes across on her dives throughout the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific. If you ask nicely, she might even help you ID your fish and invert images.
Chrissy Frederick
Chrissy Frederick spent 20 years as a classroom science teacher in both public and independent schools. She now brings her passion for science to her role as the Education Team Leader of Ocean First Education (OFE). At OFE, students are taken to the intersection of fascination and education, through engaging, relevant, and student-centered learning experiences.
Chrissy is an SSI instructor, who primarily teaches scuba to youth. When not diving, she can be found playing outside either trail running, climbing, paddling, or skiing.
Join the Ocean First Sustainable Dive Leader Program to become a leader in marine education, conservation diving, and sustainable tourism.
For more information, contact us:
keylargo@oceanfirst.blue
305.453.2228
