Russell Laman

Russell is an award-winning photographer, marine biologist, and explorer from Boston, Massachusetts. His immense love and curiosity for the underwater world started the first time he went scuba diving when he was 8 years old, and has propelled him to a career in underwater photography and conservation. Russell earned his undergraduate degree from Boston University with a dual degree in marine science and conservation biology, focusing his research on developing novel techniques to analyze the restoration success of Belizean coral reefs. After graduating, Russell received a grant from The Explorers Club to start his own coral reef restoration study in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Along with valuable findings about the restoration taking place in the region, he restored a new tract of reef himself, hoping to discover ways to make restoration more accessible for local people.

Russell is an accomplished photographer and videographer. He has film credits with the BBC, National Geographic, PBS, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where he has documented everything from orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo, to calving humpback whales near Panama’s Coiba Island. Russell’s photography has also garnered multiple international awards from the time he was 10, including three winning images in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, along with first prize in the “Underwater Life” category of The Nature Conservancy photo contest. Russell hopes that by combining his interests in marine biology with his passion for photography and videography, he can make a difference in marine conservation.