Richard Pyle

Speaker -  BSAC Diving Conference 2012

Ichthyologist Richard Pyle quotes himself as being a fish nerd. In his quest to discover and document new species of fish, he has also become a trailblazing exploratory diver, well known today for his concept of deep (Pyle) stops and a pioneer of database technology.

A pioneer of the dive world, Richard Pyle discovers new biodiversity on the cliffs of coral reefs. He was among the first to use rebreather technology to explore depths between 60 and 165 metres, an area often called the "Twilight Zone."  During his dives, he has identified and documented hundreds of new species. Author of scientific, technical and popular articles, his expeditions have also been featured in the IMAX film Coral Reef Adventure, the BBC series Pacific Abyss and many more. In 2005, he received the NOGI Award, the most prestigious distinction of the diving world.

Currently, he is continuing his research at the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, outside Honolulu, Hawai'i, and is affiliated with the museum's comprehensive Hawaii Biological Survey. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Marine Exploration, of which he is a founding member. Richard continues to explore the sea and spearhead rebreather technology, whilst his day-to-day unit is a CIS Lunar Mk V, he is currently working closely with Bill Stone and Kevin Jones on future developments of the Poseidon Discovery Mk VI CCR and is a major contributor to the Encyclopedia of Life.