Speaker profile
Dr Richard Smith
Richard has presented at international SCUBA diving exhibitions in the United States (Scuba Show – Long Beach, California) Australia (AIDE/ODEX), Asia (ADEX – Singapore) and UK (DIVE Show – NEC, Go Diving Show) as well as dive clubs, galleries and other venues. He was amongst four internationally acclaimed underwater photographers chosen to tour Australia as part of the inaugural Underwater Tour 2018, speaking in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney and will return to the tour in 2020 (rescheduled to May ’21), which will also include Adelaide and Auckland.
His book launch was a sold-out lecture and signing at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. In March ’20 he spoke at the world’s oldest natural history society – The Linnean Society of London. You can see this lecture below.
In addition to his popular science-based presentations, he has also spoken at global scientific conferences including two quadrennial Indo-Pacific Fish Conferences in Perth, Western Australia and Okinawa, Japan. Richard was invited as a keynote speaker to the SyngBio 2017 conference where he spoke at The Florida Aquarium to delegates, sponsors and members of the public with sand tiger sharks as a backdrop. He has also presented at The Zoological Society of London to ocean researchers about his work.
Richard is an engaging public speaker and has presented marine life lectures around the world over the past decade. Some of the locations that he has spoken include:
USA
The Smithsonian Museum: Washington DC
Scuba Show: Long Beach California
The Florida Aquarium: Tampa – Keynote Speaker SyngBio
Book Passage: Ferry Building, San Fransisco
New York City Sea Gypsies Dive Club
UK
The Linnean Society of London
The Zoological Society of London
DIVE Show National Exhibition Centre
British Society of Underwater Photographers, Imperial College London
Go Diving Show – Keynote Speaker
Australia
Underwater Tour 2018: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Perth
Australian International Dive Expo (AIDE)
Indo-Pacific Fish Conference: Fremantle, Western Australia
Underwater Tour 2021
Asia
Asia Dive Expo (ADEX): Singapore
Indo-Pacific Fish Conference: Okinawa, Japan
Speaker Biography
Dr Richard Smith, is a British award-winning underwater photographer, author and marine conservationist who works to promote an appreciation for the ocean’s inhabitants and raise awareness of marine conservation issues. A marine biologist by training, Richard’s pioneering research on the biology and conservation of pygmy seahorses, led to the first PhD on these enigmatic fishes. Richard is a member of the IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group. He has named the two most recent pygmy seahorse discoveries from Japan, Hippocampus japapigu, and South Africa, H. nalu. His bestselling book, ‘The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs’ is out now: www.OceanRealmImages.com
Upcoming Talks and Appearances…
BURFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL, BURFORD, UK
– 23rd September 1630 2021.
Join Richard, and many other authors, at the inaugural Burford Literary Festival. Richard will be speaking about his adventures across the world’s oceans, naming and discovering new species and behaviours.
REEF FEST: KEYNOTE SPEAKER – “Wonders of the Ocean: The World Beneath”
An Annual Celebration of Marine Conservation. Key Largo, Florida, USA
– 14-17th October 2021.
Richard is honoured to have been invited to the annual REEF FEST meeting at the headquarters of Reef.org in the Florida Keys this year. Follow the below link to read more about the activities and talks that are in store for this year’s attendees.
*RESCHEDULED* DIVE 2020/2021, NEC, UK
– 27/28th March 2021.
Richard is excited to be speaking again at DIVE. More details to follow…
Podcasts
Underwater Tribe Live Show: Dr Richard Smith discusses how a new pygmy seahorse was discovered
Corbin Maxey Animals to the Max podcast: Pygmy Seahorses and Coral Reefs with Dr Richard Smith
Animals to the Max Podcast Also available on Spotify, iTunes and all other places you find podcasts!
Recent Events
Smithsonian Museum, Washington DC. Starts 6.45pm 10th September 2019.
Book Launch Event: Join Dr Richard Smith, marine biologist, photographer, and author of The World Beneath: The Life and Times of Unknown Sea Creatures and Coral Reefs for an unforgettable evening at the Smithsonian filled with tales from the deep and stunning images of marine life.
Dr. Smith will be signing books, reading from his illuminating and surprising book, and sharing his gorgeous and groundbreaking discoveries. See coral reefs and the wondrous, surprising creatures that live in them through Dr. Smith’s skilled and knowledgeable eye.
Linnean Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London. 4th March 2020.
Richard, a fellow of the Linnean Society, will be following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin by presenting at the world’s oldest biological society. More information to follow.
Blue Planet DC, DC1755 S Street NW
Washington, DC 20009. 11th September 2019.
Join Richard for an evening of Indonesian underwater stories in anticipation for the collaboration trip between Richard and Blue Planet DC in November 2019. Plus, some fun book chats too…
More about Blue Planet DC here…
Go Diving Show, Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK. 21-23rd February 2020.
Richard will be presenting at the Go Diving show about his love of marine creatures…
*RESCHEDULED* Underwater Tour :: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland 13th-20th May 2021.
Richard is honoured to have been invited back to speak at the third Underwater Tour in 2020 (NOW 2021!). This time, he’ll also visit Adelaide and Auckland, which weren’t on the 2018 itinerary. See link below for tickets.
Book Passage Book Shop, 1 Ferry Building Ste 42, San Fransisco, CA, USA. 6-730pm 23rd September 2019.
Author Event at the renowned Book Passage Ferry Building on the San Fransisco Wharf front.
Bristol Underwater Photography Group talk
This week I headed off to Bristol to give a talk to Bristol Underwater Photography Group about using biology to inform your photography. It was a great turn out and lovely to give a talk where the audience were clearly natural history buffs. I...
Underwater Tour Australia
I am excited to announce that I have been invited to join the inaugural Underwater Tour around Australia in May 2018. Four of us underwater photographers are hitting the road together across Australia, visiting Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne...
Ocean Realm Images Flow – Newsletter 2017
2017 has been full of ups and downs. It was personally challenging, with the sudden passing of my father at the end of 2016, but thankfully full of professional highs and amazing animal encounters. AUSSIE ROAD TRIP The year started off on a trip that I...