Happy World Oceans Day! Today we celebrate our blue spaces and work to educate others about how vital and important our marine ecosystems are! The Fish Sanctuary This year there’s a big focus on protecting 30% of our oceans by 2030 but what is the process behind creating an MPA? Who are the individuals that dedicate their lives to making these wild spaces a reality and how can we protect both our coastlines from over fishing and protect and support our local fishing communities? Whilst working on my film ‘MY25: The Ocean Between Us’ I had the opportunity to discuss some of these important questions with Marine Biologist Dr Dayne Buddo who has dedicated his time to the protection and restoration of Jamaica’s coral reefs. The fish sanctuary his team at the Alligator head foundation have created is only possible because of their amazing dedication to working with the local community and the vision they had to restore their local coastline. We are connected to our oceans, the only way we will be able to successfully restore these habitats to their former biodiversity is if we work with local communities to ensure our action protect both people and place. There is no one answer to how to save our oceans, the issues our marine ecosystems face are linked we can not address overfishing without addressing habitat restoration, climate change or pollution and just as every coastline is unique so are the communities and ultimately the solutions. But there is hope... I see that hope in the passion of people like Dr Dayne Buddo and his team, I see that hope in the young fisherman who have changed their careers and now describe diving with sharks with the same level of passion and curiosity I do and I see that hope in the data thousands of scientists around the world have collected that prove MPAs can be effective. We still have a long way to go, saving our oceans will take all of us stepping in to protect the blue but I believe we can do it. Watch ‘MY 25: The Ocean Between Us’ on https://www.inkacresswell.com/film Support the Alligator Head Foundation https://www.alligatorheadfoundation.org Featuring Former CEO Dr. Dayne Buddo #Protect30x30 #WorldOceansDay #WorldOceanDay #girlsinstem #womeninfilm #marinebiology #blueplanet #inspirechange #climatechange #travel #girlsinfilm #blackandstem #dreamjob #conservation #coralreef #diving #scuba #UNWorldOceansDay #myplanet #thegreatoutdoors #mpa #education #filmmaker #coralreef #travelgoals #iambecoming #girlsthatscuba #ocean #inspiration

With 60% of our global population living in coastal areas and 10 % of the world population dependent on the ocean for readily accessible protein and employment it is essential that we create opportunities for sustainable fishing. As we move towards our goal of healthier more fish filled seas and a more sustainable world we must also look to the people who are most heavily impacted by declining fish stocks and climate change. It is only by working with local communties we will be able to rebuild our coastlines and ensure our oceans thrive for years to come.