Dabbling in Marine Conservation in Cambodia

Having absolutely no background in marine conservation, no experience traveling in Southeast Asia, and no knowledge of the threat to marine habitats and resources in Cambodia, this trip was a learning lesson. But what an incredible outcome!
A friend of a friend had suggested looking at Marine Conservation Cambodia (MCC) when I expressed an interest in volunteering in Asia. Eager to expand my volunteer efforts to something other than teaching English, one look at MCC and the project's opportunity to scuba dive each day had me sold. I naively signed up for four weeks without any real extensive research into their conservation efforts.
But it all worked out for the best! I got a taste of marine conservation, learned a ton of new stuff, and truly felt a part of the team. The program on Koh Seh is still early stages, which is both good and bad. Good because you can help suggest new ideas and see them quickly put into action. Bad because it can seem a bit disorganized at times. But it'll all get sorted in due time, especially with the passionate, dedicated staff they have!
I will say, if you are the type that constantly needs to be busy, you will definitely need to take a step back here. The project moves at a relaxed pace. Days are filled with research dives, beach clean ups, scientific presentations, snorkel identification sessions, etc, etc. But there is always down time in the evenings. And the island is secluded to say the least, so resign yourself to a slower pace and you'll have the best of times!