Students and alumni in the marine research and conservation sectors came together Friday afternoon to encourage the “next generation of ocean leaders” at the Summit for Ocean Stewards.
The event, hosted by student group Sustainable Oceans Alliance in Penn Pavilion, consisted of a student poster session, an alumni panel and a keynote speaker event with Sylvia Earle, Graduate School ‘56 and ‘66.
Earle, a pioneering marine biologist and an Explorer-in-Residence at National Geographic, spoke about the future of marine conservation and stressed the importance of taking action to protect the oceans.
“The ocean is still — despite all that we have put into it and have taken out of it — the greatest wilderness on the planet, the greatest wild space, from the surface to the greatest depths,” she said.
Earle warned of changing temperatures and acidification of the ocean due to excess carbon dioxide. She also stressed the damage caused by overfishing and dumping waste in the oceans.
Speaking on the importance of policy change and activism, Earle encouraged Duke students to show initiative and take advantage of the resources available to them, sharing how she initially was “just as a botanist kid exploring the ocean.”
She further described her journey to becoming a prominent researcher and activist for female representation within the field of marine science.
When Earle arrived at Duke, she had the opportunity to join an expedition to the Indian Ocean, which she cited as an example of Duke “opening the door” for her.
“It was only when everything was ready to go … that it was noticed that I would be the only woman with 70 guys for six weeks at sea,” Earle said. “And I guess that’s part of this ethic of ‘well, why not?’”
Looking to the future, she emphasized the importance of protecting the planet for future generations, asking “... In 100 years, when Duke University will be celebrating its 200th anniversary, what would the ocean be like?”
The talk ended with Earle’s encouragement and support for the next generation of marine researchers, activists and biologists.
“What have you got? Every one of you has got something that nobody else has got,” she said. “Working together, we can pull it off.”
Student poster session
The student poster session allowed undergraduate and graduate students to present their research to a larger audience.
Topics ranged from “Do Goose-beaked Whales Have Best Friends?” to “Cetacean Research in the Galapagos.” Visitors lined up to ask about students’ research accomplishments across both the Durham and Beaufort Marine Lab campuses.
SOA President Lizzy Glazer, a junior, encouraged more students to get involved in the marine conservation space.
“The goal for this event was to have a large impact on the entire Duke community, not just marine science students,” she said. “... There's always room and there’s always opportunities, like sustainable Ocean Alliance … we're not just marine science majors.”
Third-year graduate student Kalei Porter, who presented her poster on “An Evaluation of the Whale-safe Intervention,” similarly shared that there are many avenues for Duke students with varying interests to become involved in marine conservation efforts, including through policy, economics, business and “everything in between.”
Alumni panel
The event also featured Duke alumni who have contributed to marine conservation efforts and biological research.
The panel, moderated by Toddi Steelman, Nicholas ‘96 and vice president and vice provost for climate and sustainability at Duke, touched on the experiences at Duke that shaped them for their careers today.
Panelist included Anna-Marie Laura, Nicholas ‘09 and senior director of climate policy at Ocean Conservancy; Sara McDonald, Trinity ‘90, Nicholas ‘14 and director of conservation at the South Carolina Aquarium; Sam Kelly, Pratt ‘18 and co-founder of FaunaLabs; and Carrie Brownstein, Nicholas ‘00 and principal quality standards advisor of seafood at WholeFoods.
“I think … the multidisciplinary pieces at Duke are really amazing,” Kelly said. “I mean, I had my core curriculum in Pratt, but I feel like the seminal experiences I had at Duke were all outside of that core curriculum.”
McDonald commented on the vast opportunities both at and beyond Duke, urging students to say yes to those presented to them.
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Chloe Joy Chang is a Trinity sophomore and a staff reporter for the news department.