People Taking Action

In this final episode of season three, we speak with Shuhei Tashiro, co-founder of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance Japan Hub, and Kokoro Watanabe, an integral member of the Hub with the title of Investigator. Shuhei is a masters student studying Anthropology at Heidelberg University in Germany, whilst Kokoro is a Biotechnology in Japan with a strong interest in marine biology, but they both have a deep passion for all things ocean! Together we talk about their journey in founding and working for the SOA Japan Hub, and reflect on the joys and challenges of spreading ocean awareness. Closing off the season in a meaningful way, Shuhei and Kokoro remind us of the love for our environment that we all experience in our own way. https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Shuhei and Kokoro, and their work: Facebook  Instagram  Website 

This week we speak with Josphat Nguu, a marine ecologist working on the conservation of blue carbon ecosystems. His work with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute Wildlife Conservation Society establishes blue carbon offset schemes for the conservation and restoration of mangrove forests. Josphat's SOA project focused on returning mangroves to the denuded shoreline of Gazi Bay on the southeast coast of Kenya using enhanced restoration techniques. Working with Mikoko Pamoja, a community-based organization, Josphat and his colleagues aim to plant 4000 seedlings yearly. His expert knowledge gives us a deeper understanding of the importance of mangroves as a natural solution to combatting the effects of climate change. https://linktr.ee/PTApod

This week we speak with Catarina Abril, an MSc Marine Biology and Conservation graduate from Portugal with studies focused on sharks and rays. Her passion for ocean literacy shines through as we discuss her role as Science and Conservation Manager of the Ocean Hub Portugal. In 2020 the Hub was given two microgrants. The first grant went towards a series of courses teaching ocean literacy and entrepreneurial skills for implementing ocean solutions and the second grant went towards support for SOA's #Defendthedeep campaign against deep-sea mining. Beyond these achievements, Catarina and her team have developed their own podcast! We were very inspired by their story and hope you are too! https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Catarina and her work: Ocean Hub Portugal Podcast Facebook YouTube Instagram

This week we speak with Iryna Ponedelnik, a master’s student in Science Communication and founder of the Youth for Sustainable Development in Belarus. The initiative promotes SDGs and tries to encourage young people to actively participate in SDG implementation in Belarus. With the help of an SOA microgrant, Iryna is rolling out a youth engagement program for ocean literacy. We chat with Iryna about her upcoming program and what it's like to be an ocean activist in a landlocked country. Iryna's challenging and rewarding experience opens our eyes to why we should all care about ocean issues. https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Iryna and her work: Climate Adaptation Summit  UNICEF Instagram

In this weeks episode, we speak with Komal Narayan, the Pacific Island Representative for the Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Komal was integral to the founding of the SOA Pacific Hub based in Fiji, and with the help of an SOA grant, she organised the Youth Ocean Leadership Conference. The two-day conference centred around 4 areas of ocean health - coral restoration and conservation, plastics in the ocean, activism through art and seabed mining. Diving briefly into each of these issues, we have a lovely discussion with Komal that reminds each of us how connected we are to our environment. https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Komal and her work: Facebook

This week we speak with Fabio Cresto, a climate scientist focused on elaborating climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, with a particular focus on Nature-based Solutions. We speak with the help of SOA and in collaboration with his partners Ana Giró from Healthy Reefs and Ángela Mojica from Pixan'ja, Fabio is studying the impact of extreme weather events on a newly discovered reef off the coast of Guatemala - The Cayman Crown. Fabio's knowledge and passion shine through in our discussion, and he reminds us how much we all rely on our ecosystems for a happy, healthy life. https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Fabio and his work: Cayman Crown Webinar More info on the Cayman Crown Fabio's article on "Smart Coasts"

This week we speak to Marian Paiu, Project Manager at Mare Nostrum, a Romanian NGO that serves to protect the ecosystem and biodiversity of the Black Sea. As an expert on Cetaceans, Marian's depth of knowledge on the Black Sea and the effects that plastic pollution has on the animals within it is eye-opening and touching. With the help of an SOA Grant, Mare Nostrum has expanded their science-based beach clean-ups in which they not only collect trash with the help of trained volunteers but also gather detailed records of the types and sources of the collected waste. Marian and his colleagues were also able to start the SOA Black Sea Hub. Marian's story reminds us to do whatever we can in our own lives to help protect the ecosystems we rely on. https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Marian and his work: Facebook Beach Clean-Up Project

This week we speak with Magda Cebrian, the Co-founder and CMO of Go Zero Waste, an app promoting zero waste and circular economy living. We speak with Magda about her and her team's inspiration for the app, which provides tips for a zero waste lifestyle and a map of zero waste businesses worldwide. Their SOA microgrant is helping them build more robust community features and create a stronger network for people at all stages of their zero waste journey. The app is now available in more than 30 countries, so check it out and start your own zero waste journey! https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Magda and her work: Go Zero Waste Twitter Instagram YouTube

This week we speak to Innandya Irawan, Chief Growth Officer and Co-founder at Carbon Ethics. Carbon Ethics is a not-for-profit organization that aims to decelerate the climate crisis through climate education and blue carbon ecosystem conservation. Innandya tells us her personal story of starting and growing her organisation and inspires us with the entrepreneurial work ethic she applies to everything she does. Innandya and her team received an SOA Microgrant to support the work of Carbon Ethics in their newest project - Project Tumbuh.  https://linktr.ee/PTApod  Find out more about Innandya and her work:  Carbon Ethics Instagram

For our first episode of this special edition season, we are featuring Brandon Levy, Chief Program Officer of Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Brandon is a community builder, systems thinker, and mission-driven professional with experience working with leading sustainable enterprises. He is passionate about equipping young leaders with frameworks for strategic thinking and conscious leadership, which he believes are the necessary skill sets to achieve maximum social impact and personal fulfilment. Together we dive deep into Brandon's personal aspirations and he shares some of his brilliant thinking to help us all recognise our own potential. https://linktr.ee/PTApod Find out more about Brandon and his work: Sustainable Ocean Alliance LinkedIn Sources: Find out more about the RAIN framework Brandon mentioned