By Hannah Schartmann. Hi Emily! What steps did you take to become a marine conservation specialist and which skills are important to pursue a career as a conservationist? I always knew I wanted to work in marine conservation but after graduating from my integrated master’s degree in marine biology, I had no idea how to…
Harry Baker, founder of Marine Madness: shining a light on the weird and wonderful world of our oceans
By Harry Baker. Marine Madness is an up and coming blog site focused on all types of marine life and the issues that affect them in a changing ocean. Creator and editor Harry Baker talks about the reasons behind it, the transition from researcher to writer and why it is so important to showcase the…
Interview: Climate Advocate and 5Gyres Ambassador Madeleine Wallace
By Nuri Max Steinmann. Madeleine Wallace is a 23-year old artist and climate advocate, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is a visual artist, a multi-instrumentalist, and a spirited environmental activist. In 2018, she completed her undergraduate degree at Barnard College, pursuing an Environmental Policy major. As an ambassador and advisory board member of…
ex aqua – Sustainable Ocean Farming on Madagascar
The Toliara region in southwest Madagascar is one of the poorest regions in the world. In Ifaty, a small fishing village in the Bay of Ranobe, the locals also suffer from the consequences of declining fish stocks. Due to unsustainable fishing methods in the region, the livelihood of over 300 fishermen in the village is…
Interview with Neil Garrick-Maidment, Executive Director and Founder of „Seahorse Trust“
By Hannah Schartmann. A warm welcome to Neil Garrick-Maidment, Executive Director at the Seahorse Trust. The Seahorse Trust has the main aim to protect seahorses. Why is it important to protect them? Like so many species in our world, seahorses are going extinct at a very fast rate, which we estimate at approximately 150 million…
Portuguese NGO ‘Ocean Alive’ – Video Story
The marine biologist, Raquel Gaião Silva, made a video about a portuguese NGO named Ocean Alive that is making the difference when it comes to Climate Action. The video shows their involvement with the local fishing community and their fantastic role in protecting the seagrass meadows. Are you curious about it? Take a look! Seagrass…
No-Trash Triangle Initiative – Addressing plastic pollution in Indonesia
The Coral Triangle in South East Asia is home to one of the most biodiverse marine environments on our planet but plastic pollution is rapidly degrading this delicate ecosystem. To prevent the Coral Triangle from being suffocated by plastic, the No-Trash Triangle Initiative was founded on Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, in late 2017 by marine…
The Manta Trust – Protecting rare creatures of the ocean
By Hannah Schartmann. Hi Tam, a warm welcome to the interview. You are working for the Maldivian Manta Ray Project. This project has the goal to protect mantas and devil rays. Why is it important to protect them? Mantas are some of the largest and most intelligent animals in the sea. Their complex behaviours set…
“We Built This City.” – The Oysters of New York Harbor
By Lauren Giglio. How the Billion Oyster Project is Saving the Eastern Oysters of the Atlantic Let’s take a journey together; you are roaming the streets of New York City, people-watching through the large crowds, listening to the taxis and buses beep as they fly by, the aroma of the hotdog cart surrounds you. It…
Marine biologist Jan Verbeek about the challenges in marine conservation
By Nuri Max Steinmann. Jan Verbeek is a marine biologist and scientific diver I met during the Erasmus Mundus master’s programme in marine biodiversity and conservation in Portugal. Since leaving Germany about 10 years ago, he spent the large majority of his time studying and working in the UK where he started his journey as…
