Meet the team
Nature Seychelles is made up of a team of core staff, project staff, volunteers and interns. Meet the passionate individuals who make up the management team at Nature Seychelles.
MAIN OFFICE - MAHE
Nirmal is a well-known figure in the Seychelles conservation scene having an encyclopedic knowledge of Seychelles biodiversity as well as a wealth of experience in environmental management. He was formerly the Assistant Director of Fisheries Research, the Director of the Seychelles Conservation and National Parks service as well as the Managing Director of an environmental firm, ENVIRO where he worked on projects covering almost every aspect of environmental management. He was the coordinator of the Seychelles National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan process and of the Environmental Management Plan of Seychelles 2000-2010. He has worked for international organizations such as the World Bank, IUCN, UNEP, Sida, and UNESCO.
Kerstin was previously the country’s Environmental Management Plan (EMPS) Coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is a professional resource economist who has coordinated the implementation of some of the major environmental projects in Seychelles including those funded by the GEF and the World Bank.
Liz is an experienced Communications Specialist and has worked in corporate communications, public relations, marketing, public awareness, and advocacy. She holds an MA in Communications for Development from Malmo University, Sweden, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Design from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. A confessed tree hugger, she has a long relationship with conservation non-profits having worked at East Africa’s oldest conservation NGO, the East African Wild Life Society, and as a consultant with several environmental NGOs and social enterprises in Kenya.
Corinne joined the Nature Seychelles team in 2020 as the Technical and Advocacy Manager for the Locally Empowered Area Protection (LEAP) project. With over a decade of experience teaching in Seychelles, she undertook a Masters in Sustainability and Management in the UK under the Chevening Programme, aiming to increase her involvement in community-based projects
CORAL - PRASLIN
Luca is a marine biologist specialising in coral reef ecology and restoration. He has a PhD in Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Milano-Bicocca and 6-years of experience working in a luxury resort in the Maldives as an in-house marine biology researcher. His research focus is to study the role of coral predators as stressors on reefs, the use of technology such as drones and underwater photogrammetry to monitor reefs, and the improvement of the resilience of coral reefs through restoration. Additionally, his goal is to engage local communities and the tourism sector in the implementation of global awareness and conservation strategies in a climate crisis scenario. He is also a Divemaster with experience in research and scientific diving.
Viktoria is a geographer and tropical marine ecologist from Germany. In 2024, she joined Nature Seychelles as a volunteer scientific diver and conducted research for her master thesis, where she assessed the thermal tolerance of four-reef building corals along the restoration process using the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS). She has joined the team full time as an early-career scientist and will conduct the daily restoration tasks. Her passion lies in coral ecology, restoration, and diving.
Akash Paunikar is the new Coral Aquaculture Officer at Nature Seychelles, where he plays a key role in the organization’s efforts to restore coral reefs and advance coral aquaculture initiatives. Before this, he gained invaluable experience as a Ranger on Cousin Island Special Reserve, focusing on biodiversity conservation. With a deep passion for nature and protecting the environment, Akash loves to share his knowledge, learn from others, and bring fresh perspectives to the field of conservation. When he’s not working, you can find him surfing, diving, hiking, indulging in creative arts and crafts, strumming his guitar, or studying ancient civilizations, biology and philosophy.
COUSIN ISLAND SPECIAL RESERVE
Christopher Mahoune, 32, graduated from the Seychelles Maritime Academy where he studied Advanced Fisheries Science before working for Indian Ocean Tuna Ltd. In 2011, he joined Cousin as a warden and was promoted to senior warden in 2015. Between 2017-2023, in addition to working with the Special Reserve, he also held positions with two local DMCs, a luxury hotel in Mahe, and the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority on Curieuse Island. Cousin welcomes him back as the Chief Warden. In addition to being a nature lover, Christopher considers his job as a lifestyle, expressing his passion for conservation through photography.
Chris Tagg started work on Cousin in June 2021. Chris holds a BSc in Ecology and Wildlife Conservation and an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation from Bournemouth University. Initially coming out to Seychelles in 2015, he has since worked on several islands. His past experience in Seychelles has included invasive species removal, herpetofauna research, and volunteering twice on Cousin where he thoroughly enjoyed the work and island itself. When the opportunity to come and work as the Science and Conservation officer arose, it was immediately seized upon. Chris has a passion for conservation and ecology with interests in birds, herpetofauna, and invasive species impact. He strives to constantly develop his skill set to become a practical well-rounded ecologist.
COUSIN ISLAND TEAM
See the passionate wardens running Cousin Island Special Reserve on the Cousin Island Website.