By Hannah Schartmann. Umair Shahid is working as the Indian Ocean Tuna Manager for the WWF’s Smart Fishing Initiative (SFI), which has the overall aim to end overfishing in the oceans. A warm welcome to Umair Shahid. Can you tell me a bit more about you? What is your background? I am a development professional…
Category: People
Cetacean research, conservation and management since 1946 – Interview with Andrej Bibič, Chair of the International Whaling Commission
By Hannah Schartmann. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is the global body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling. Andrej Bibič is the current chair of the IWC. Since when are you working for the IWC? What was your motivation to work for the commission? I will serve a two-year term…
Climate change – scaremongering or an unfortunate reality? Interview with Wendel Trio, Director of the Climate Action Network Europe (CAN Europe)
By Hannah Schartmann. A warm welcome, Wendel Trio. What are your tasks at the Climate Action Network Europe? I have been the Director of CAN Europe since September 2011. My main tasks include strategy development, political representation, developing the network and fundraising. I also coordinate and manage the secretariat. Can you tell me a bit…
Interview with Marine Biologist and ‘Women in Ocean Science’ ambassador Thea Moule
By Nuri Max Steinmann. Thea Moule is studying Marine Biology at Bangor University, lead ambassador at ‘Women in Ocean Science‘ and PADI Scuba Diving Instructor. We talked with her about her career path, women and science and more. Hi Thea! Your studies go quite well. You were awarded the ‘Gavin Borthwick’ prize for being a…
Seeing Hope Through a Photographer’s Lens: an Interview with Brian Skerry
By Lauren Giglio. Brian Skerry may be one of the most successful wildlife photographers of all time – the list of awards for his beautiful images grows with time as he continues to push photographic boundaries. While his images are what initially captured my fascination with Skerry, it was his undeniable dedication to marine conservation…
Emily Cunningham – marine conservation consultant, researcher and educator working across the UK
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…
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…
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…
Make The Ocean Great Again 