Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR)

Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) was created by co-director Samara Nicholas in 2001 with support from Vince Kerr. Samara was inspired by a memory of snorkelling at Leigh Marine Reserve with her local primary school, where she buddied up with two young children. The awe on their faces when they saw a huge snapper swim past sparked the idea of capturing that experience through an education programme, and EMR was born.

From the beginning, EMR recognised that marine reserves are vital for conserving marine biodiversity and for providing unique educational and inspirational opportunities — a belief that remains at the core of the programme today. EMR is a key step towards improving public perceptions of marine conservation, offering both information and direct experiences. It lays an essential foundation for the establishment of marine conservation areas across New Zealand. Today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders, and their attitudes will shape the future — making marine education crucial for protecting biodiversity and ocean resources.

The EMR concept was developed with a knowledgeable support network, including Vince Kerr, the late Dr Roger Grace, and Dr Bill Ballantine. In 2002, Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust (then known as Ngā Maunga ki te Moana Conservation Trust) was formed to support both the EMR and Whitebait Connection programmes.

In the early days, we relied on donated gear and equipment sourced from op shops. Darren Shields was an early supporter, helping EMR secure its first proper equipment through Wildblue. Our gear has advanced dramatically since then from early underwater disposable cameras to today's high-quality equipment. Yet, despite the changes, our core approach of Information – Experience – Action remains the same.