MEET THE TEAM
Stefan Andrews
Stefan Andrews is a marine biologist, filmmaker, and Ocean Literacy advocate, renowned for his underwater cinematography and insightful storytelling. Stefan has dedicated himself to translating complex marine research into engaging narratives that captivate and educate audiences worldwide. His films, celebrated for their fusion of scientific rigour and artistic elegance, serve as powerful tools in promoting the conservation of our oceans, their diverse ecosystems, and the cultures deeply connected to them.
As a co-founder and Director of Education and Impact at the Great Southern Reef Foundation, Stefan's influence extends well beyond his cinematic achievements. He leads innovative educational initiatives and community outreach programs, making significant strides in raising ocean awareness and fostering environmental stewardship, touching the lives of thousands through immersive workshops, public talks, and comprehensive educational materials. He is passionate about empowering the next generation of scientists, educators, and conservationists, instilling in them a deep-seated appreciation for the marine environment.
In his role as the Communications Officer for the Great Southern Reef Research Partnership, Stefan is instrumental in disseminating scientific findings, ensuring that the latest research on the Great Southern Reef's ecological importance and the challenges it faces are communicated effectively, fostering a wider understanding and appreciation of this critical marine ecosystem.
Scott Bennett
Dr. Scott Bennett leads the science committee of the Great Southern Reef Foundation. The concept of the GSR originated from a paper published by Bennett and colleagues in 2015. This publication laid the foundation for the idea of the GSR.
Scott was was born and raised surfing and diving the reefs of Tasmania and has studied the kelp forest ecosystems of Australia in depth right across the country throughout his career as a marine scientist. Devoted to temperate marine research and the effect of ocean warming on temperate reef species, Bennett was recently awarded the highly prestigious Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher award. Currently based in Tasmania his upcoming research aims to enhance the capacity to detect vulnerable areas of the Great Southern Reef.
Kingsley Griffin
Dr. Kingsley Griffin is the co-producer and operations strategist of the Great Southern Reef Foundation.
Kingsley is a marine ecologist and co-producer of documentary films directed by Andrews. Working a variety of jobs during university, Kingsley found the public generally unaware of key environmental issues, especially those already affecting the local oceans in southern Australia.
Griffin’s research focuses on the effective management of human impacts in marine environments, for which public awareness is often key. He believes that while scientists and advocates can achieve success through traditional means, strategic impact documentary can provide far more rapid progress towards community understanding and activation.
Sahira Bell
Sahira Bell contributes as a scientific advisor of the Great Southern Reef Foundation and was the lead marine scientist responsible for the designation of Australia's Great Southern Reef as a Mission Blue ‘Hope Spot’.
Sahira recently completed her PhD at the University of Western Australia focuses which focused on the impacts of climate change and ocean warming on temperate ecosystems, specifically focusing on threats to seaweed forests and fish communities of the Great Southern Reef. Sahira also sits on the management committee for the not-for-profit, the Balu Blue Foundation, where she works closely with scientists, communicators and producers to achieve impactful outcomes that drive positive change within the community.
John Fuhr
John Fuhr is a proven marketing-communications, advertising, design and business-strategy professional, with more than 25 years experience in the communications industry. He has been involved in the data-driven digital advertising industry since its inception, having spearheaded some of the very first digital campaigns for global brands in markets around the world.
Eager to contribute his experience and skills to help address the pressing environmental issues facing his own patch of the GSR. He found the perfect match when joined forces with the team from the Foundation.
Since joining the team, John has helped to set up initial operations, and guide efforts to establish the group as an ACNC-registered charity. Today, he works closely with the whole team to help further nurture and grow the public’s awareness and engagement with the Great Southern Reef. Critical to the organisation, he is now underway with comprehensive fundraising/sponsorship programs to achieve the GSRF’s many worthwhile, ambitious and critical goals.
Hillarey Jones
Hillarey Jones is the curatorial specialist of the Great Southern Reef Foundation. An independent curator, writer and digital media strategist, Hillarey has a passion to tell stories articulately, creatively and with a contemporary visual aesthetic.
After earning her masters degree in Curatorial Sciences from the École du Louvre in Paris, France in 2010 and Bachelors degree from the University of Connecticut in 2009, she spent almost a decade traveling and working overseas in contemporary art galleries and institutions in both Paris and Berlin. From 2015 she worked at the Linda Pace Foundation co-organising exhibitions, events and programming, aided in collection management, social media management and strategy, content editing and brand execution.
In 2020, Hillarey relocated to South Australia, where she began to channel her passion for storytelling and ocean conservation into developing a dynamic digital media strategy for the Great Southern Reef Foundation. Her invaluable experience with non-profit organisations has made her an indispensable member of the team, where she continues to leverage her curatorial acumen and digital expertise to foster impactful collaborations and curate meaningful events for the Foundation.