Mr. Dirk Burcham

Dirk Burcham has over 30 years of experience in the fields of Biology and Business. He has worked as a Wildlife Biologist and has held management positions in the wholesale distribution industry.

He is a volunteer diver and part of the scientific diver program at the Aquarium of the Pacific and a recipient of the United States President’s Call to Service Award; a lifetime achievement award in recognition for his volunteer service to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Mr. Burcham is a Reef Check California volunteer diver and a four time recipient of Reef Check’s annual Golden Slate Award for completing the most number of transects during the survey season. He was Reef Check’s 2013 Citizen Scientist of the Year and also served as a member of the advisory team that assisted in the development of the Reef Check California Survey Protocol.

As an active participant in the Catalina Conservancy Divers, a support group of the Catalina Island Conservancy he wrote the revised Key Species Monitoring Protocols for the Catalina Conservancy Divers. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Catalina Marine Society.

Mr. Burcham earned a B.S. degree in Zoology from San Diego State University, an M.S. degree in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist through the Wildlife Society.

MCRI Research Archive