Cities Under the Sea

Dr. Brylske’s three‑part online course is designed primarily for scuba divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts who want a deeper understanding of how coral reefs function and why they matter. It covers the basics of coral reef ecology (how reefs work, where they form, and their key organisms), coral reef fish ecology (food webs, morphology, and feeding strategies), and the major threats facing reefs, including pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Throughout the course, it emphasizes real-world conservation issues and practical actions individuals can take to help protect reefs, supported by structured lessons and quizzes to reinforce learning.

Merging Business & Environment

This is a long-form video lecture created to support OEI’s sustainable dive tourism courses, It explains why the dive and travel industries must move toward sustainability, covering coral reef decline, global tourism trends, over-tourism, and the shift toward experiential, sustainability-focused travelers. The lecture introduces concepts such as sustainable tourism, the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit), values‑based marketing, and practical five-step pathways for dive businesses to become more environmentally responsible and competitive. It showcases real-world examples of destinations, resorts, liveaboards, and brands successfully integrating sustainability, and highlights tools like Green Fins, carbon offset programs, and major sustainability reports. Overall, the course positions sustainability not as altruism but as sound business practice that modern divers and travelers increasingly expect.

Doing the Right Thing: A Guide to Sustainable Dive Practice

This is a professional-development lecture for dive professionals (and serious divers) that supports OEI’s sustainable dive tourism course. It focuses on how to reduce diver and snorkeler impacts on reefs and marine life, covering ethical wildlife interaction (and why feeding/harassing animals is harmful), anchoring vs. moorings, effective pre‑dive briefings, photographer behavior, and evidence from diver‑impact studies. A major portion is devoted to improving training practices—especially buoyancy, trim, propulsion (e.g., frog kick), and “stop and tuck” skills—so divers achieve true mastery and cause less damage. The lecture also addresses broader sustainability choices (seafood consumption, reef‑safe sunscreen, souvenirs, deforestation links) and highlights tools like Green Fins diver/guide e‑courses and local programs (e.g., Florida Keys Blue Star) as practical frameworks for best practice.

Dive Industry Insights from Alex Brylske on Sustainable Marine Tourism

This episode of Marketing Minutes from Scuba Diving Industry Magazine features Dr. Alex Brylske discussing his company Ocean Education International and its mission to make marine tourism a positive force for ocean conservation. Brylske explains his long career arc—from early dive education and watching reefs decline, to returning to graduate school in marine science and building courses on marine ecology and sustainable tourism—culminating in OEI’s business‑to‑business focus as a “force multiplier” by training dive pros rather than the general public. He outlines OEI’s key offerings, including the intensive six‑day Eco Pro course (covering coral reef ecology, environmental interpretation, citizen science, shark ecology, and reef‑health assessment dives) and the free online “Sustainable Dive Leader” course developed with Ocean First Institute. The conversation also highlights his book Beneath the Blue Planet: A Diver’s Guide to the Ocean as a concise environmental knowledge base for dive professionals, intended to fill the common gap in environmental content in standard diver training.

Critical Difference Between Satisfied and Enthusiastic Scuba Divers

This Immersion Zone podcast reviews Dr. Alex Brylske’s framework (via the Business of Diving Institute) for moving beyond merely “satisfied” scuba customers to creating truly enthusiastic divers. The hosts explain that traditional dive operations focus too much on selling courses, c‑cards, and gear, while neglecting the core underwater experience that creates a deep sense of connection or “sense of place.” Drawing on Brylske, they distinguish education (transmitting facts) from interpretation (using ideas and feelings to inspire appreciation and personal meaning), and show how good interpretation can be delivered in short, 90‑second “micro messages” and teachable moments on the reef. They outline a five‑step reaction chain—understanding, curiosity, reflection, care about, and care for the environment—and illustrate it with a detailed parrotfish example that links ecology to divers’ everyday choices. The episode concludes that dive pros who learn to be interpreters, not just instructors, are the ones who turn casual customers into passionate, conservation‑minded enthusiasts.

Secrets of the Coral Reef

The program explores the “shifting baseline” phenomenon and aspects of coral ecology rarely addressed. It highlights how science is expanding its understanding of a wide range of issues from coral physiology to resource management. Also addressed are ongoing and emerging threats to coral reefs and how divers can contribute to successful marine conservation efforts.

Podcasts

Deconstructing The Diving Industry

In this episode of The Dive Locker Podcast, host Tec Clark talks with Dr. Alex Brylske of Ocean Education International about “deconstructing” the diving industry to understand why it is in a slight long‑term decline. Drawing on Brylske’s 40 years of attending the DEMA Show, they explore both macro and micro problems in the industry, emphasizing that many dive operations are still run as linear, product-focused businesses in a world that now rewards non‑linear, experience‑driven models. A major theme is the importance of genuine human connection and clearly understanding the “why” of being a dive professional, echoing concepts from Simon Sinek’s famous TED Talk on purpose-driven leadership. Alex argues that for dive centers to survive and grow, they must evolve toward travel- and experience-centered offerings and more value-added eco‑focused training such as his unique ECO PRO course.

Interpreting Coral Reef Ecology In A New Way

In this episode of The Dive Locker Podcast, host Tec Clark talks with Dr. Alex Brylske about how dive professionals can interpret coral reef ecology more effectively for their students and customers, without needing a marine biology degree. They highlight Brylske’s program, Coral Reef Ecology for Divers, as a practical way for pros to deepen their understanding of coral reefs so they can better “manage their inventory” of underwater life and get divers excited about more than just the big animals. The discussion contrasts simple “education” with true interpretation of the underwater world. It situates this within Brylske’s long background in diver education, including his work with PADI, Dive Training Magazine, and his current role at Ocean Education International, which focuses on sustainable dive tourism.

Seminars

These one-hour programs are presented personally by Dr. Brylske

and can be delivered either live or via Zoom.

Contact us for details and dates.

Secrets of Coral Reef Fish(es)

Expanding on the seminar Secrets of the Coral Reef, this program is devoted exclusively to understanding some rarely addressed aspects of coral reef fishes. The discussion explores how “form drives function” and how this relates to behavior. Also addressed are recent insights into fish reproductive biology and the profound effects overfishing can have on coral reef food webs.

What Makes a Shark a Shark?

This seminar examines why sharks are such a unique group of fish. Topics include why sharks don’t have bones, the distinct way they’ve adapted to living in seawater, why some sharks are “warm-blooded,” their amazing electro-sensitivity, and their mammalian-like reproductive mode.

The Lion’s Roar

The invasion of the Atlantic by the Pacific-native lionfish is having a significant negative environmental impact throughout the greater Caribbean region. This program explores the status, the latest research findings, and how resource managers and tourism interests are responding to this crisis.

The Reef at Night

Revealing the hidden life of coral reefs after dark, this program introduces divers to the dramatic “changeover” from daytime to nocturnal marine communities and the predators and grazers that emerge at twilight. Learn how sharks and other hunters see in low light, and how corals, fishes, and invertebrates use bioluminescence and biofluorescence in surprising ways—from camouflage and sunscreen to attracting prey and symbiotic algae. The program explains the science behind fluorescence, including GFPs and specialized lighting systems, and shows how these tools are used in cutting-edge reef research and restoration. This visually stunning, science-based program transforms night diving into a glowing window on reef ecology and conservation.

The Green Fins Dive Guide
e-Course

A free online training program for professional dive guides and instructors (Rescue level and above) that teaches how to minimize diver impacts on coral reefs by following Green Fins’ environmental standards. It consists of three modules covering background on coral reefs and the Green Fins initiative, best practices above water and on the boat, and concrete guidance on managing yourself and your divers underwater. Learners must score 100% on short tests after each module and can complete the course in roughly half a day, at their own pace. A personalized certificate, valid for two years, is available for US$25, with a scholarship fund for guides from lower-income countries who cannot afford the fee.

Deconstructing the Dive Industry

This is a video lecture that supports OEI’s sustainable dive tourism courses. It is aimed at current and aspiring dive professionals who want a more honest, big-picture understanding of why the dive industry is struggling—especially in North America—and how it must change. The lecture critiques the traditional “80s model” focused on gear sales and weak training, highlights data on declining core participation and poor environmental education, and argues for shifting to an experience‑centered, sustainability‑driven business model. It introduces concepts like “occasional vs. core” divers, Blue Ocean Strategy, building your own professional brand (especially as a non–brick-and-mortar instructor), and using Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” framework to redefine what business you are really in. Overall, it is both a diagnosis of the industry’s structural problems and a roadmap for dive pros to reposition themselves as adventure travel professionals who create meaningful, environmentally informed experiences.

Free Sustainability Tools & Guidelines