Oceans 2019 Team

I've always been transfixed by the ocean - her magic, her intrigue, her power. I created Oceans 2019 Festival to use storytelling, art, film and science to connect people with our ocean. From the food we eat, to the clothes we buy, to the stories we weave into society, all impact the ocean and its wildlife in one way or another. With the ever increasing threat of climate breakdown I hope that this festival inspires and motivates you to invest energy in understanding and protecting our one and only blue planet.

I believe that the first step in tackling any conservation issue is getting people to actually care. One of the most powerful ways to achieve this is through the use of captivating imagery.

Through curating a collection of incredible marine artwork and photography, I aim to shed a new and fascinating light on the underwater realm. Through showcasing stunning sea creatures, harrowing conservation struggles, and thought provoking artwork, I hope to capture the minds of everyone attending Oceans 2019.

I am also developing a digital campaign in the hopes of educating people on a range of environmental matters through insightful conversations with some modern day eco warriors!

I champion environmental solutions for the challenges we face, on a daily basis. I work with pupils from Year 1 to Year 13 and communicate with staff, parents and feeder schools. I also work at university level empowering trainee teachers about environmental education.

I spent twenty years working in marine conservation as an underwater cameraman and organising expeditions to uncover problems in our oceans and bring them to the surface to feed organisations and the media, to help find solutions. Now that I work full time in education in Bristol I relish opportunities to discuss marine environmental issues with like-minded people to inspire change in a festival atmosphere, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts!

Having grown up by the ocean in Ireland, I’ve always had so much love, awe and respect for it, it’s complexity and its inhabitants. I hope that through impactful and beautiful storytelling about our natural world, I can help inspire people to love and fight for it and its protection and longevity.

Building on my love of diving and our oceans, am making the move to marine conservation to help tackle the serious challenges faced by our planet. Starting in November 2019 I will be working as Digital Strategy Manager for The Reef-World Foundation.

With a lifelong passion for conservation, I aim to reduce our environmental impact where possible, whether this be organising clothing swaps for students at my university or encouraging local businesses to join the water bottle refill scheme. Oceans Festival is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of the impact we are having on our environment and what we can do to improve.

My passion for the environment began during my studies of consumer behaviour, as I realised the destructive and devastating impact of consumerism, overproduction and planned obsolescence. The way in which objects we buy become meaningless and worthless within a matter of months, weeks or even minutes - only to end up in landfill, in oceans, or as litter - results in the pollution of habitats all across the world. This is how we, as a single species have failed the millions of other species with which we coexist. This is why I got involved with Ocean’s Festival. It is an incredible opportunity to accomplish real, positive and actionable change, to inspire and encourage others to consider the impact of their actions.

Having spent the best part of my adult life campaigning to defend, conserve and protect marine wildlife – from the far reaches of Antarctica, to the west coast of Africa’s Eden to the serene coves of the Faroe Islands – I’ve witnessed the degradation of marine habitats and the impact our choices have had on the planet and all its inhabitants. Now firmly back ashore I oversee a team of campaigners working to expose animal abuse, promote veganism and raise Viva!’s profile, in order to create positive change and a kinder future for animals, ourselves and the environment.

I have always been passionate about the ocean and I am thrilled to be a part of a festival that is helping to raise awareness for marine conservation and teaching others about our amazing blue planet!

I am the cofounder of a marine conservation awareness account called @marinebabeologists which you can check out via Instagram, Facebook or Twitter!