Pierre is an oceanographer and marine biologist with more than forty years of experience in the field. During thirty years as a research technician at the Sea Fisheries Research Institute in South Africa he worked largely in the South-East Atlantic Ocean, the South-West Indian Ocean and the Antarctic, taking part in numerous research cruises, often as chief scientist.

After leaving the Institute in 2001 he embarked on a second career as a fisheries consultant, working mainly in Southern Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean, as well as doing research cruises in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and north Pacific. During this time he lectured at several Universities in South Africa as well as teaching at the Fisheries Development Centre in Mbegani, Tanzania. During 2008 he was technical adviser and presenter for a documentary series on the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic.

The Antarctic has always drawn him back, since his first research cruise in the area in 1978. He took part in a number of research cruises to the Antarctic between 1978 and 2000. In 2002 he took a small group of journalists and tourists to the Continent on the South African research and supply ship, the S.A. Agulhas during a routine resupply trip to the German Neumayer base in Queen Maud Land. He repeated the operation with a larger group, including 20 high school students, in 2003. Although the passengers enjoyed the cruises, Cape Town is too far from the Continent for such cruises to be practical, except for the small minority of tourists who enjoy long periods at sea without the possibility of going ashore.

In 2005 he started working in the industry as a lecturer, zodiac driver, and latterly as assistant expedition leader. He has worked on board ships in the Antarctic, South and Central America, the Canary and Azores Islands, Great Britain, Norway and Spitsbergen. In addition to marine biology and oceanography he is a competent all-round naturalist and photographer as well as having an interest in history and in traditional boats and working boats around the world. He is a former Naval Officer who holds certificates of competence in sail and power.

At present he is a fisheries compliance advisor to the Mozambique Department of Fisheries.