These human-assisted habitats act like defibrillation paddles, revving up struggling reefs and reviving declining fish populations from Florida to Indonesia and beyond.

Peter Hughes knows a thing or two about live-aboards, and he has a spot in the DEMA Hall of Fame to prove it. In 2011, Hughes received the DEMA Reaching Out Award for helping to evolve the live-aboard diving industry over the past three decades. That same year, after spending more than 25 years building his former live-aboard company, Peter Hughes Diving, Inc., the 40-year scuba diving veteran threw all of his expertise and energy into a new live-aboard venture, the DivEncounters Alliance

Based on the opinions of thousands of divers from across the globe, our annual Top 100 Readers Choice Awards showcase the best scuba diving in the world.

Here are tips to make your live-aboard trip better -- from easier packing to protecting the host environment to making the best memories possible.

Want to dive the best of Raja Ampat in Indonesia? The live-aboard Arenui combines the luxury of near-constant personal attention with the romance of a wooden sailing ship as it gets you to all the best dive sites in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

“Have you ever seen this little guy?” she asks. “I’ve been through every book, and it’s not in any of them.”

News photos displayed devastation from dynamiting in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, but live-aboard operators say the damage is limited.

There are a lot of deadbeat dads in the animal kingdom, but a few ocean species are the exception. These standup fathers go above and beyond.

Divers spot an aircraft wreck; jumping sharks; and the colors of Indonesia.