[ STORY 01 ]

THE LITTLE ISLAND
ACHIEVING
BIG THINGS

Australian marine scientist, explorer and documentary filmmaker Dean Miller was only about six years old when he found his vocation. “I went snorkelling in Victoria, Australia, and was immediately immersed in this other world full of life forms, colours and movement. I popped up and asked my mum, ‘How can I do this forever?’ ‘Become a marine biologist,” she said. And that was it.” But even after earning his Ph.D. in coral reef management two decades later, Dean wanted more. And a year-long field trip to study seals on Macquarie Island, between New Zealand and Antarctica, kicked off a second parallel career for him as a documentary filmmaker.

Australian marine scientist, explorer and documentary filmmaker Dean Miller was only about six years old when he found his vocation. “I went snorkelling in Victoria, Australia, and was immediately immersed in this other world full of life forms, colours and movement. I popped up and asked my mum, ‘How can I do this forever?’ ‘Become a marine biologist,” she said. And that was it.” But even after earning his Ph.D. in coral reef management two decades later, Dean wanted more. And a year-long field trip to study seals on Macquarie Island, between New Zealand and Antarctica, kicked off a second parallel career for him as a documentary filmmaker.

In fact, the only animals in short supply on Lord Howe Island are humans. There are just 380 permanent residents, while tourist numbers are restricted to 400 at any one time. As the remnant of an extinct volcano, the island has an extraordinarily dramatic landscape, ranging from 875-meter-tall mountains topped with cloud forests to the world’s most southerly coral reef fringing a beautiful blue lagoon. Lord Howe Island was World Heritage Listed in 1982 and declared a state marine park (meaning no commercial fishing for a 19-kilometer radius) in 1998.

In fact, the only animals in short supply on Lord Howe Island are humans. There are just 380 permanent residents, while tourist numbers are restricted to 400 at any one time. As the remnant of an extinct volcano, the island has an extraordinarily dramatic landscape, ranging from 875-meter-tall mountains topped with cloud forests to the world’s most southerly coral reef fringing a beautiful blue lagoon. Lord Howe Island was World Heritage Listed in 1982 and declared a state marine park (meaning no commercial fishing for a 19-kilometer radius) in 1998.

“It's sad to see it being such tough going for many organisms that are the building blocks of coral reef ecosystems. The ocean’s becoming uninhabitable. In many ways, it’s an early warning sign of what we’re going to experience on land,” Dean says.  Dean himself is famous for taking active steps to safeguard the world’s corals though his Forever Reef Project. Starting with Great Barrier Reef, it aims to collect and preserve the world’s coral species in a “coral ark.” “We collect what's out there today, so we have something available for tomorrow. As long as we have everything in hand, we can tinker and play later,” Dean explains.

“It's sad to see it being such tough going for many organisms that are the building blocks of coral reef ecosystems. The ocean’s becoming uninhabitable. In many ways, it’s an early warning sign of what we’re going to experience on land,” Dean says.  Dean himself is famous for taking active steps to safeguard the world’s corals though his Forever Reef Project. Starting with Great Barrier Reef, it aims to collect and preserve the world’s coral species in a “coral ark.” “We collect what's out there today, so we have something available for tomorrow. As long as we have everything in hand, we can tinker and play later,” Dean explains.

Direct experience of the natural world in all its beauty is what inspires people to protect their shared environmental legacy. That’s certainly true of the Lord Howe Residents who beyond the broad legal protections that come with World Heritage and marine park status, have put the needs of the environment first in many aspects of their everyday lives, banning cruise liners and large-scale tourist development, installing a large solar array for electricity generation and enthusiastically adopting electric vehicles. “The management of Lord Howe Island should be held up as an example for the rest of the world for protecting both terrestrial and marine ecosystems,” Aaron declares. For his part, Ian describes the island as a “beacon of hope” and “inspiration for the world.”

Direct experience of the natural world in all its beauty is what inspires people to protect their shared environmental legacy. That’s certainly true of the Lord Howe Residents who beyond the broad legal protections that come with World Heritage and marine park status, have put the needs of the environment first in many aspects of their everyday lives, banning cruise liners and large-scale tourist development, installing a large solar array for electricity generation and enthusiastically adopting electric vehicles. “The management of Lord Howe Island should be held up as an example for the rest of the world for protecting both terrestrial and marine ecosystems,” Aaron declares. For his part, Ian describes the island as a “beacon of hope” and “inspiration for the world.”