Turning the Tide
SCIENCE | 4 MIN READ
By Kim Donaldson | Images by Tobia De Scisciolo
When Tobia de Scisciolo '15 first visited Aruba through the UAUCU Field Research Programme, he didn’t know it would change his life.
Originally from Florence, Italy, with Belgian roots, de Scisciolo never expected his studies and work to carry him across the ocean to Aruba. “I had never even heard of Aruba before,” he laughs. “I Googled it, saw the turquoise water, and thought—this can’t be real."
What started as an academic opportunity soon became something much deeper. At UCU, he majored in Environmental Science and Geography, later completing a Master’s in Marine Ecology at Wageningen University. The UAUCU programme, a collaboration between University College Utrecht and the University of Aruba, gave him the chance to study coral reefs up close. But when it ended and everyone flew home, de Scisciolo decided to stay. “I finished my thesis here,” he recalls. “I was working as a bartender on a ship and writing in the evenings. It was the most peaceful experience of my life.”
Nearly a decade later, the island is still home. He now teaches Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Aruba and is completing his PhD on the relationship between humans and coral reefs—examining how small-island development and water quality influence fragile marine ecosystems. “There’s something special about doing research where you live,” he explains. “It’s not abstract. You see the effects, and you can do something about them.”
Restoring What’s Been Lost
De Scisciolo was one of the project leaders for Turning the Tide, a two-year RESEMBID-funded coral and mangrove restoration initiative led by the Aruba Conservation Foundation and Wageningen University, in collaboration with the University of Aruba and the ScubbleBubbles Foundation. Together with students and volunteers, the team tested new coral structures, replanted mangroves, and worked side by side with local divers and residents to bring life back to the island’s reefs.
“The day we went out to attach the first coral fragments was surreal,” de Scisciolo recalls. “Everyone was so excited. Students, NGO partners, divers. We were on the boat, surrounded by turquoise water, and I thought: this is exactly why I studied.”
He smiles when he talks about the community’s role. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible,” he notes. “People showed up because they care about the sea. They gave their time, their energy, their hearts.”
I found my passion in the sea. Once I started diving and studying coral, I knew this was what I wanted to dedicate my life to.
Coming Full Circle
De Scisciolo continues to support new generations of UCU students who travel to Aruba each year through the same field research programme that first brought him there. “I give feedback on their proposals and help with their research,” he shares. “It feels full circle — to be the person I once needed when I first arrived.”
Between teaching, diving, and writing his PhD, de Scisciolo is now working on a new grant to expand the restoration project. “I won’t stop,” he adds simply. “This is what I want to do with my time.”
When he’s not in the classroom or underwater, you’ll find de Scisciolo outdoors — on the beach, in the sea, or catching up with friends. “I think I already am an island man,” he laughs. “My life is outside.”
He pauses, reflective. “There’s a pride that comes from working on the place you live,” he explains. “Coming here and committing to the island, it’s paid back a hundredfold.”