As Antarctica faces a host of human-caused threats, a marine biologist calls for action.
Emily Cunningham could hear the sounds of whales breathing and the creaking of ice. The marine biologist — bursting with excitement — had just arrived in Antarctica aboard an expedition ship but found the peninsula cloaked in fog. As she set out in a small Zodiac boat to test some scientific equipment for the next day’s work, the fog slowly lifted, unveiling spectacular beauty.
“It felt like Antarctica wasn’t quite ready to reveal herself,” says Cunningham. “And then all of a sudden, she showed off in all her glory.”
Cunningham, co-founder of the Motion for the Ocean initiative that supports local ocean conservation efforts, would spend the next six months aboard a ship in Antarctica teaching science to visitors and helping inspire them to advocate for Antarctic conservation and engage in climate action.
After she returned to her home in the United Kingdom this spring, The Revelator spoke to her about balancing tourism with conservation, how wildlife in Antarctica are coping with climate change, and what global efforts are needed to protect the ocean.
‘We Found Plastic on the Seabed in Antarctica and I Just Cried’ • The Revelator
Emily Cunningham could hear the sounds of whales breathing and the creaking of ice. The marine biologist — bursting with excitement — had just arrived in Antarctica aboard an expedition ship but found the peninsula cloaked in fog. As she set out in a small Zodiac boat to test some scientific equipment for the next day’s work, the fog slowly lifted, unveiling spectacular beauty.
“It felt like Antarctica wasn’t quite ready to reveal herself,” says Cunningham. “And then all of a sudden, she showed off in all her glory.”
Cunningham, co-founder of the Motion for the Ocean initiative that supports local ocean conservation efforts, would spend the next six months aboard a ship in Antarctica teaching science to visitors and helping inspire them to advocate for Antarctic conservation and engage in climate action.
After she returned to her home in the United Kingdom this spring, The Revelator spoke to her about balancing tourism with conservation, how wildlife in Antarctica are coping with climate change, and what global efforts are needed to protect the ocean.
‘We Found Plastic on the Seabed in Antarctica and I Just Cried’ • The Revelator