THESE professionals make it their work to preserve marine ecosystems, from coral reefs to mangroves and estuaries. They are, as we call them, underwater landscapers.

For insight into this career option, Career & Education talks this week to Andrew Ross, a Canadian native currently completing his doctoral studies in marine biology/coral restoration ecology with the Centre for Marine Sciences at the University of the West Indies, Mona.

He is the director of Seascape Caribbean, a more than two-year-old company operated out of Montego Bay, which offers a range of services, including:

* the restoration of coral and coral reefs;

* the restoration of mangroves and estuaries, protected areas and fisheries;

* eco-adventure and Scuba tourism; and

* most aspects of the coastal ecosystem function and valuation.

According to Ross, at Seascape, he is “head-chef and bottle-washer”.

“I am responsible for sales, marketing, permitting, accounting, logistics and all the labour for the company. Individual projects will have project-specific staff for the ongoing “gardening” of the restored reef, again each trained by me,” he said.

Ross has worked in ecology and conservation “on and off” since 1996 and been propagating rare corals for reef ecosystem restoration since 2004. Prior to beginning operations of Seacape Caribbean, he was a science officer with the Montego Bay Marine Park.

Who is an underwater landscaper?

An underwater landscaper, or “Seascaper,” as we’ve coined it, applies the general principles of landscaping — aesthetics, privacy, food, structure, animal habitat, windbreak — to the coast and seafloor using propagated or cultured living elements and light structural and/or artistic elements.

What is the value of the work that you do?

Coral and coral reef ecosystems are in decline all over the world, and in particular in the Caribbean. We take very small amounts of the remaining living material and propagate it through several generations to generate large amounts of living material for ecosystem restoration. As such, we are able to provide the immediate client goals associated with seascaping, as described above, and also protect and augment the populations of these highly endangered animals and the fish, shellfish and other creatures and plants that rely on them, including most of the sea creatures that we eat.

What was it that prompted your entry into the field?

Coastal tourism, followed by coastal and marine ecosystems management were much of my previous working experience, and propagative culture of coral and coral restoration is the focus of my PhD research at UWI. Ultimately, I very much enjoy growing coral, in the same way that my grandmother loves growing her garden flowers. It is gratifying and fulfilling spiritually and I can be proud of each day’s work, and I am quite blessed to have found a way to make a living from it.

What are the academic requirements for getting into the field?

Copious, particularly as corals are legally protected in most Caribbean countries and the primary species of coral that are missing from the ecosystem are highly endangered. It is vital that anyone dealing in endangered species be appropriately trained and experienced and has a full and deep understanding of their responsibilities when dealing with such rare and valuable organisms.

What other skills and/or competencies are required for entry into the field?

Strong swimming and Scuba diving background and a willingness to work underwater for long, cold and difficult days on end, and be stung, scratched or nipped by every imaginable little creature in the process, often including the animals you are trying to culture and help. Your muscles will ache from the equipment and the moving water, bones will ache from the cold and your knuckles will swell with the minute, delicate work with the corals, and your fingers and lips will swell from the stings of the small animals that also grow on the nursery. Such is bearable only if one has a strong interest in and/or passion for the topic. There have been many friends, volunteers and even potential employees that simply did not show up for the second day of work. If it’s going to be just a job to you, it’s not for you.

What do you most enjoy about the work that you do?

At the end of a day in the field, I know I have achieved good ecological benefits to this and future generations, and I tend to have learned or observed a few valuable things in that process. Every day is fulfilling, and sometimes my “office” can be a very beautiful and dynamic place, and sometimes my officemates — including rays, barracuda, shark, poison-grouper, turtles, etc — can be a little more interactive than I’m comfortable with, making it even a little bit exciting.

What are the challenges you face on the job?

The corals of Jamaica have been largely dead from our reefs since the early to mid-1980s. This timeline has allowed people to forget what was and should be, and think that the modern situation is somehow natural, as they have no point of reference. This makes it more difficult to convince an hotelier, engineer, fisherman or Government minister that restoration is valuable or a viable option. Propagative restoration of coral is also a relatively new topic in academia and conservation, let alone in commercial applications. Thus, I am largely starting from scratch in communicating its benefits as there is little precedent to illustrate what I do or the economic benefits of a restored coral reef system. Beyond that, there are the aforementioned long, cold days using heavy equipment in a moving sea and the health, injury, safety and exhaustion issues associated, and the lingering stings slowly increasing in severity over time through constant or chronic exposure.

How much can one earn as underwater landscaper on an annual basis?

As a new industry I cannot speak to this yet. I expect that a comfortable income may be maintained once the concept is established.

Why would you advise anyone to get into this line of work?

I wouldn’t, unless they had already shown a strong interest in ecology and marine ecology and a high level of emotional, mental and physical perseverance. It sounds like fun, but in terms of the regular workday it is comparable to farming stinging nettles by hand in a hurricane while wearing a rucksack full of bricks.