Sarah Purvis

Who I am

Not to sound corny, but I have always been at one with the ocean and, according to my father, started swimming confidently at the age of four – thanks to his expert teaching skills, of course. But it was not until I visited D’Arros Island in 2014 on an educational trip with Island School Seychelles that the wonders of the ocean really appealed to me, especially the vibrant coral reefs. I remember snorkelling over one of the healthiest and most colourful and pristine reefs I had ever seen! After a week of intensive fun and highly informative activities, I went back home on a mission to share my experience, educate others and advocate for the protection and conservation of our coastal habitats and ocean. Five years later, unsurprisingly, I find myself studying marine biology and coastal ecology.

Where I work

I am currently a third-year BSc undergraduate studying marine biology and coastal ecology at the University of Plymouth in England. I am conducting my thesis research under the supervision of Dr Peter Cotton.

What I do

As a patriotic young Seychellois I was, and still am, very eager to write my dissertation using data collected from my country. For my final year project I will be investigating patterns of distribution and abundance of the reef fish assemblage at different sites around D’Arros Island and St Joseph Atoll, using data that have been collected and kindly shared with me by the Save Our Seas Foundation.