Lyle Squire Senior moved to Cairns from Townsville in 1964 aged 11 and took employment at the oceanarium in 1968 where he met Bev.

Lyle was a keen spear fishermen and spent many hours exploring reefs and becoming familiar with the behaviour of many species. He became a national spear fishing champion and a commercial fisherman who would go on to be one of the world’s most highly respected consultants in tropical fisheries research and marine conservation.

Lyle’s breakthrough discovery was the aggregating behaviour of spawning reef fish and the environmental parameters that indicate the occurrence. Scorned by respected members of academia for years after the discovery, his legacy is now acknowledged worldwide and forms a pivotal feature of reef fishery management throughout the tropical world

Bev spent her early years in country Victoria. Holidays were spent exploring roadless areas of Australia’s remote north with her innovative and adventurous father towing his home-made caravan. In 1964, the family moved to Cairns where her father Vic Oke and his brother Gordon, an established pioneer of the marine tourism industry, bought the Cairns Baths and converted it into an oceanarium, caring for sick and injured marine animals and collecting others for display to the public. When the oceanarium sold in 1979, Bev gained employment with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries in Cairns, where she worked on fisheries research projects for the next eight years. She later worked for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority in Cairns, for a further three years

Lyle Squire Junior spent his early years at the Cairns Oceanarium, caring for, and swimming with, marine animals of all sizes and description. It was this grounding that has engendered an intimate knowledge and passion for all marine creatures. Lyle became an aquarium fish collector to supplement his income during his university studies. In 1994, an opportunity arose to purchase the company that employed Lyle and his brother Cadel as divers. Cairns Marine was born as a true family business with all four family members becoming Directors. Lyle’s astute business acumen helped the business grow from a small operation working from a single wooden boat and housing specimens beneath adjoining rented houses to a world leader operating from two 22m ocean-going vessels and housing animals of all sizes in a large custom built facility employing around 30 staff. Lyle is the president of the Queensland industry association and a member of fisheries advisory bodies at the State and Commonwealth government levels.

From a childhood of adventure with wildlife in the company of his father and elder brother, Cadel became an aquarium fish collector in 1992 as a school leaver. When Cairns Marine was born, Cadel’s role evolved to be boat skipper leading a crew of divers covering the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea visiting collection sites discovered by him and his brother. Today, Cadel leads an extended team of expert divers that establish the world’s benchmark for best-practice collection and onboard husbandry. Cadel has the unique distinction of specialising in the collection of large animals for public aquarium display, including sharks and rays. Cadel’s aspirations for Cairns Marine involve exploring innovation, including pushing into the twilight depths using mixed gas rebreather apparatus and diversifying into free swimming pelagic species to supply public aquaria.

Follow this link to see see Cadel in action hand collecting fish in the Coral sea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVN4NtMChjs

Julian is a long serving employee of Cairns Marine and has been an avid aquarist and collector for over 20 years. Julian completed his degree in marine science at the University of Queensland, majoring in marine parasitology in his final year. First employed by Cairns Marine in 1997 as a full time diver, Julian then moved into the facility as an aquarist and packer, specialising in the care and transport of Cairns Marine’s public aquarium animals. While still primarily involved with this aspect of the business, he now also wears the hat of Sales and Logistics Manager, providing information to customers both home and abroad regarding the specimens collected and distributed by Cairns Marine.

 Michael joined the Cairns Marine team in 2005 after completing a Diploma of Aquaculture in Western Australia. By the end of 2008, he stepped up to the challenge of managing operations at the shore based facility. Michael's natural enthusiasm and organizational skills have enabled him to quickly adapt to the new level of responsibility and to thrive on the challenge. Michael epitomises the youthful culture at Cairns Marine. The staff under his supervision responds to his leadership, which augers well for Cairns Marine as we diversify into a broader range of species and hone our operational efficiency. Michael's duties include overseeing animal husbandry, maintenance of water quality within the facility's 16 filtration systems, the organisation of packing teams and the implementation of new protocols and procedures.

Ryan's role at Cairns Marine is to implement strategic development initiatives for the business. Prior to joining the team, he was executive officer of regional economic development networks for the seafood and marine industry; and for the engineering industry in Far North Queensland. Ryan's background is in tropical fisheries research and management; and in marine conservation, practiced mainly in the Indo-Pacific region. Ryan compiled the aquarium supply industry Stewardship Action Plan, including a response plan to events linked to climate change; and he is a regular contributor to various industry magazines promoting Cairns Marine's approach to business, including research collaboration and establishing the global benchmark for operational best practice. Ryan is also actively involved with industry development as a director with the Australian Marine Training Network and a member of the Cairns Local Marine Advisory Committee. He is also maintains active roles in the Queensland aquarium industry association, Pro-vision Reef; and the non profit organisation linked to Cairns Marine called Project Sawfish.