“Raising the profile of issues linked to abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ghost gear) by mobilizing 4 years of my novel research to form applied solutions and share this knowledge with other key stake and rights holders to carry out localized solutions in their region has been a bright spot in my career as an Early Career Ocean Professional so far. I successfully developed a half-million dollar ghost gear project using this knowledge, and have published 3 papers on the topic, and have been featured in several media articles, news interview and documentaries.
Beyond science, I am passionate about community and mentorship, and helping folks be the best versions of themselves, professionally and personally. This lead to the creation of a 2 year campaign called ‘Stop Trashing It’, which was designed and operated as a non-profit, that aimed to shift awareness into action when it comes to living lighter on our planet, with a focus on waste reduction. The project grew rapidly, building a network of ~1500 individuals in just over a year. While the organization has since dissolved, the project was a great success and a dear achievement in my career.
Recognition is great evidence of my success; I have received several environmental leadership awards for this initiative, as well as my passion for youth mentorship and science communication. “