-Life as a Chief Scientific Officer-
The development and leveraging of technology surely must be one of the most defining elements of the twenty first century.The amount of data we are able to collect on life and living is nearly infinite.
We as humans living in this time and space are fortunate to have so many tools at our disposal in so far as gathering data and information in order to make informed decisions.
That being said, effectively communicating and presenting what we uncover as far as key findings is still the more critical element in this equation of ultimately affecting change for any particular cause.
Take highly charged constructs like politics, law or even environmental issues such as the conservation of particular species. Often times, intense feelings, traditions and just flat out stubbornness stand in the way of breakthroughs.
Our guest on this episode is someone who deals with such challenge on a daily basis as an individual immersed in the world of science, discovery and the fight for change relating to a cause she deeply cares for.
Introducing
Mareike Dornhege is the Chief Scientific Officer and founder of Ocean Eye – a platform that provides incentives from ecotourism to local communities to prevent poaching. She is also a Scientific Advisor to Churamura, an Okinawan marine conservation NGO.
Education
Holding a Master’s degree from the University of Oxford and a Ph.D. from Sophia University in Tokyo her expertise is in marine ecology with a focus on shark ecology.
Professional Background
As a Chief Scientific Officer, Mareike has worked extensively with Japanese fishermen across the country on collecting data on the impact of fisheries on shark populations and establishing guidelines for sustainable fisheries.
Her knowledge has gained her invitations to many global conferences as one of the leading experts on the status of sharks in Japan.
Media
She has published her research in various scientific journals including Nature and her public outreach ranges from podcasts to documentaries and hosting for the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
Activity & Achievement
*Creating the first global financial payments mechanism for wildlife conservation which at its core targets the problems of unsustainable fishing and poaching
*Japan Country Leader for the GlobalFinPrint Project, the largest global-scale assessment of shark and ray biodiversity on coral reefs to date
*Japan Country Leader for the GlobalFinPrint Project, the largest global-scale assessment of shark and ray biodiversity on coral reefs to date
*Bridged the gap between the different stakeholders ranging from fishermen, fishery managers, and processors on Japan’s largest shark fishery, achieving more sustainable management & policy
*Japan Country Coordinator for Women4Oceans, an international marine conservation NGO
Reasons to Listen
The conversation will be of great assistance for:
- Those wishing to learn more about a potential career within marine ecology
- How the combination of various skills and passions can amount to a fulfilling career
- Those wishing to learn more about Japan based marine ecology issues
Listeners will gain insights on the following:
- What it means to be a Chief Scientific Officer and what specific roles one fulfills within a such a position
- How Mareike made her way into this profession
- How the harnessing of her two passions have helped her carve out a highly distinguished and rewarding career
- Ocean Eye – and how it is a world’s first as far as introducing a unique ecotourism model that attempts to protect wildlife whilst giving local communities opportunities to earn income
- A Japan based story which illustrates the ecological clash between nature and human consumption
- The value in building relationships with stakeholders as far as finding ways to better balance the needs and wants of communities with environmental issues
- Fascinating insights on Japanese ecological findings related to shark biodiversity
- An interesting project incorporating the use of the blockchain, NFT’s and an award winning wildlife and conservation photographer
- Insight on the future of marine ecological preservation within Japan
- + Much more!
A Memorable Quote from the Episode:
“Water has always been part of my life. I started scuba diving when I was 14. I’ve always loved sharks. When other kids were drawing flowers, I was drawing sharks.”
-Mareike Dornhege
Check out the Video Conversation:
For those who desire to view the full video conversation of this discussion, you can do so via Youtube.
Words of Wisdom:
Hear from Mareike as she shares advice to those interested in this line of work.
Discover More
For those interested in learning more about Mareike and her work, you can check her via her company Ocean Eye or on the following social platforms:
Keep Listening!
I hope you enjoyed the episode. For more, check out additional episodes here!
