Hello! You are new to my website; nice to e-meet you, and welcome!
I'm an award-winning Caribbean-based ocean advocate, recognized by the Ocean Awards 2020 as a leader on marine conservation issues within the Caribbean through my non-profit organization Fish ‘N Fins Inc. I'm a consultant and thought leader whose vision is "people empowerment,'' through ocean data collection and analysis opportunities. I continue to add more adventure, creativity, and equity!
Watch one of my most recent engagements here:
More about me:
I do event talks and public speaking on topics that include the future of conservation, mobilizing grassroots action, positively integrating projects in local communities, physical and digital science engagement, new technology for biodiversity monitoring and ocean exploration, allyship, and people empowerment. My work as an events speaker has taken me to academic institutions, global youth advocacy networks, local community groups, and more. It's also one of the ways I can afford to be a single mom working in this field.
I'm also the founding researcher for Montserrat Marine Megafauna. This project aims to explore new technologies and innovative data analytical methods to support decision-makers in acting decisively to help our blue economy.
Look out for my contribution in the upcoming anthology, "Beyond the Beach: Conversations on the Blue Economy," by Sen. Crystal Drake and Clash Gittens of Barbados, and the whitepaper, ‘Framework for the Equitable Caribbean Blue Economy.’ (2020).
I'm also one of a handful of beta testers of Deep Sea imaging and camera sensors; Maka Niu co-authored the paper, " Low-Cost, Deep-Sea Imaging, and Analysis Tools for Deep-Sea Exploration: A Collaborative Design Study," published in Frontiers (2023).
My career has entailed diverse leadership roles in the non-profit, government, and private sectors, ranging from eco-fashion to tourism and culture, making for powerful storytelling that evokes emotions and insights. In 2023, I was invited to speak at the New England Aquarium Lecture Series. You can watch the talk here:
Sometimes, I share my experiences with ocean conservation and the wealth, inequality, power, and privilege I’ve observed in this field. This is a story from reefs to resilience for many people like me from marginalized communities, either aspiring to or currently working in this field. We still have lots of work to do around building ocean justice and a new blue economy based on a more equitable labor system and access to resources and technology. As I continue to play my part, I'm being more intentional, active, and authentic in this space. You can catch up with some of my talks here:
● World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS)-United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) ( World Ocean Day 2020)
POP Ocean Summit ( World Ocean Dat 2020)
● Curating and Hosting the AQUA Caribbean Blue Economy Conference (Nov 2020)
● Middlebury Institute of International Studies - Equitable Blue Economy (Nov 2020)
● MIT Open Ocean Lecture Series - Equitable Blue Economy (Nov 2020)
● Ocean Heroes Caribbean Bootcamp - Ocean Connection ( Dec 2020)
● Scripps School of Oceanography - Sustainable Seafood Salty Cinema (Jan 2021)
● Sir Arthur Lewis College, St. Lucia - Blue Economy ( Jan 2021)
● Caribbean Girls Hackathon 2021- Climate Action & Ocean Solutions ( Feb 2021)
I also participated in an exciting panel in 2020 around weaving AI into decision-making in the Caribbean.
Book me to speak!
#EuitableBlueEconomy #WomenInStem #BlueEconomy #Regenerative #OceanPolicy #OceanInnovation #OceanTech #OceanConservation #OceanScience #OceanExploration #SeaChangeMakers #SeaChange #SeeChange #DesignThinking #OceanSustainability #Innovation #JoinTheCollective #ExpertPanel #MMMF #OceanTechnology #BRUVS #eDNA #MakaNiu