Growing up freediving and spearfishing in the frosty waters of Te Waipounamu (South Island, Aotearoa New Zealand), the ocean has fed me, grounded me, and challenged me since I was little. This lived connection, and quiet observation is what drives me to protect it.

I’ve seen first-hand how human pressures erode the mauri (lifeforce) of our moana. Working alongside Māori communities in the Muriwhenua, I witnessed how degraded ecosystems threaten not just biodiversity and food security, but also whakapapa, cultural identity, and the ability to pass traditions to future generations. Time with Māori and Pacifica whānau reinforced that true ocean restoration begins with reciprocity and respect, recognising the ocean not as an infinite resource, but as whakapapa. 

My research, teaching and communication all come back to restoring balance. Through science, I investigate how human pressures move through and affect marine and freshwater systems, from microplastics to wider ocean challenges and solutions. Through education, I help equip others with the knowledge and skills to care for the ocean. As a co-founder of NZ Ocean News and a National Geographic presenter, I use storytelling to make ocean issues accessible, connect people with the moana, and remind us that ocean health is inseparable from human health.

At the heart of my work is the principle of tūpuna pono — striving to be good a ancestor. For me, this means holding intergenerational equity as a compass: ensuring the decisions we make today safeguard abundance, wellbeing, and joy for our mokopuna (grandchildren). 

Every minute underwater reminds me what is at stake — and every opportunity to teach, research, or speak is a chance to shift how we relate to the ocean. My “why” is simple: to ensure that my grandchildren inherit an ocean of abundance, joy, wonder and beautiful kaimoana.