Projects Abroad staff preparing for a dive in Thailand on a Marine Conservation Project

Marine Conservation Volunteering Abroad

Dive into ocean conservation and protect marine life in developing countries

Become a marine conservation volunteer and explore the world beneath the waves. You’ll learn just how important marine life is while experiencing the beauty of our blue oceans with other like-minded marine volunteers.

Our Marine Conservation Projects’ aim is to conserve the underwater way of life and everything that goes with it. So whether you’re a shark enthusiast, or determined to rid the ocean of plastic pollution, we’ll work together to make it happen. Our combined conservation efforts will do things like keep those underwater coral reefs blossoming all year-round! 

This is what you can expect to do in marine conservation overseas:

  • Work with marine biologists, environmental scientists, and people from the local community
  • Receive PADI Diving Course training and participate in plenty of diving opportunities for volunteers
  • Collect data and do scientific research
  • Get hands-on marine conservation work experience

We have different ocean conservation programmes around the world, from Mexico to Thailand. They all focus on an important part of the ecosystem in the nearby surrounding area. It’s also a safe way for you to save the oceans and seas in a sustainable way so future generations can be amazed by this aquatic environment.

We’re here to help you choose the project that lets you pursue your passion for animals and nature. Are your interests drawing you more to savannahs and rainforests? We also offer Wildlife Conservation Projects and Animal Care Projects.

Gain Academic Credit

When you join a Marine Conservation project, you can also sign up for our Diploma in International Volunteering. This offers a Marine Conservation specialisation that draws on your volunteer experience. Completing the diploma alongside volunteer work, you’ll gain academic credit to support your university application.

Choose a Marine Conservation Project

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1-3 of 11 Projects

A group of sharks pictured by Projects Abroad volunteers whilst diving on their Shark Conservation volunteering project in Fiji.
Shark Conservation Volunteering in Fiji
See this project
  • Price: £2,550 for 2 weeks
  • Extra Weeks: £405
  • Start Date: Anytime
  • Minimum Duration: 2 weeks
  • Age: 16 or over
Projects Abroad volunteers go diving as part of our Conservation Project in Thailand for teens
Diving & Marine Conservation in Thailand for Teenagers
See this project
  • Price: £2,655 for 2 weeks
  • Extra Weeks: £505
  • Start Date: During school holidays
  • Minimum Duration: 2 weeks
  • Age: 15-18
Students release turtles for their conservation volunteering in Mexico.
Sea Turtle Conservation in Mexico
See this project
  • Price: £1,470 for 1 week
  • Extra Weeks: £255
  • Start Date: June to September
  • Minimum Duration: 1 week
  • Age: 16 or over
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Can't find what you're looking for?

We’d be happy to talk about creating a custom project for you. Most of our staff have been volunteers themselves, so they’re well placed to answer your questions, big or small. 

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How do I get involved in Marine conservation?

Our Marine Conservation volunteering projects are ideal for you if you love swimming and open water diving. You’ll learn new skills and get your hands dirty (or should we say wet).

We’ll roll out your PADI Diving Training within your first week of being there, so you waste no time getting down to business. You won’t need any previous experience, just the enthusiasm to torpedo your way under the waves and make a big difference to the little critters that live there.

Looking to complete a Marine Conservation internship abroad? Read our blog on Marine Conservation internships that'll give you practical experience above and under the waves. It'll give you the opportunity you need to kickstart your underwater journey.

On our Marine Conservation programmes you’ll collect data, do research, and help with the protection of aquatic animals and plants. You’ll be making a positive impact for the endangered marine animals. Depending on where you choose to go, you’ll help conserve sea turtles, sharks, or coral reefs, and more.

As a scientist-in-training I was most impressed with all of the science underlying the project and how willing the staff was to share their knowledge. I was able to see science in action as well as conservation efforts making their way up the chain to actually change environmental policy. - Christina C, Shark Conservation in Fiji

Projects Abroad volunteers replanting mangroves on their Fiji Marine Conservation Project

What skills will I gain from Marine Conservation work abroad?

Besides having a positive impact for the environment and local community, you’ll also develop some of your own skills.

These are some of the skills you can learn through ocean conservation:

  • Soft skills like teamwork, communication, leadership, resilience, organising, planning, and time management
  • Work experience and knowledge of practical Marine Conservation and environmental sciences
  • PADI Open Water and Scuba Diving certificates.
  • The ability to work and empathise with people of different cultures and backgrounds, helping to develop a ‘global mindset’.
  • Confidence from pushing past your comfort zone.
  • Our Marine Conservation Projects in Thailand and Fiji give you the chance to become a Divemaster as well

All of the above will enhance your CV, UCAS applications, and your personal development.

We had some incredible days there, collecting data underwater, planting seaweed, doing beach clean-ups, and drinking lots of coconut water. We did several surveys on lobsters, conch shells, sea grass and SPAGS diving and entered our data into the official databases, making it possible to track and observe the health of the reef. - Michelle P, Marine Conservation volunteer

Why is marine conservation important?

With so much plastic in the world's oceans, we need to make a real effort to protect marine life. Ocean pollution, along with overfishing, threatens already endangered marine animals. Interested in learning more about plastic volunteer programmes? Read more about the projects where we actively work to remove plastic from the environment

It’s easy to sit back and think someone else will take care of the environmental problems, but we have to make small changes happen with our own hands.

How are our Marine Conservation Projects different?

At Projects Abroad, our first aim is to protect marine life and benefit the local communities through our Marine Conservation Projects. We make sure our projects are ethical and support growth in the local environment. Lonely Planet recently highlighted us as the best for sustainable travel in Fiji.

Here are some of the elements that set us apart from other volunteering programmes:

Be fully supported by staff

On these projects you’ll work alongside professionals, members of the local community, and Projects Abroad staff. You’ll team up with a wider network of volunteers, all working together for shark, coral reefs, and sea turtle conservation.

At each project, a full-time staff  member will be with you to support you and the other volunteers. They’ll work with you to make sure you spend your time in a way that genuinely makes an impact and brings value to the project you visit.

Recording our work in a secure database

We created a Global Impact Database so we can track the positive impact our projects have. This is a secure and anonymous database that we use to identify specific areas of need. We can also monitor individual projects to track their development.

With these stats, we can see things like how many sea turtles hatchlings our volunteers release into the wild each year. 

Projects that have an impact

All our projects are well researched, targeted and sustainable. We aim to make a difference to the local community for the long term.

My dive instructor was fantastic, as well as the entire Projects Abroad Thailand team. They always made me feel 100% comfortable at all times, in and out of the water. I do not have enough positive things to say about all of the staff – the boat staff, dive masters, project leaders and manager were all welcoming, happy to explain and answer all of my questions about the project and conservation, accommodate any requests or feedback from volunteers and ultimately help the whole team have an amazing time. - Mikayla M, Marine Conservation in Thailand

A Projects Abroad volunteer playing with perspective using a lionfish on her Marine Conservation Project in Belize

Our Animal Protection Policy

We take protecting the animals and wildlife we work with very seriously. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive Animal Protection Policy.

Next Steps

Our accreditations