Dr. Abesamis received his Master in Tropical Marine Ecology and Fish Biology and PhD in Marine Biology from James Cook University in 2011. James Cook University is one of the most sought after educational institutions for coral reef ecology. As a proud Australia Awards scholar, Dr. Abesamis shares how he went back to the Philippines after his postgraduate studies in Australia to uncover solutions to the constant declining fish population in our oceans. His Australian education provided him with tools, international links, and training to further his research. "Because the university in Australia was a leader in the field, that opened doors to so much international collaboration all over the world."