Carissa Cabrera is the ocean conservationist and CEO of FutureSwell that host Andrew Lewin has wanted to spotlight for a long time, and in this Ocean People Profile from Ocean Decoded Live, he explains exactly why. Cabrera built a scientific foundation first, with a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology with a marine science minor from the University of Arizona, then a master's in marine science from Hawaiʻi Pacific University, earned in 2018, before turning that training into public-facing ocean advocacy at a moment when government conservation jobs, as Andrew notes, were becoming harder to find.

She co-founded and now runs FutureSwell with her husband, Alex: an ocean conservation media organization built around conservation storytelling, strategic communications, and advocacy. FutureSwell organizes a community of ocean content creators around specific campaigns, with deep sea mining a major current focus, alongside ongoing work on marine protected areas, coastline and nearshore resilience, ocean policy, and wildlife and endangered species. Andrew highlights that FutureSwell pays creators a fee for appearing in campaign videos, something he says isn't the norm across ocean conservation organizations, and points out that Cabrera's storytelling puts the viewer at the center of the action rather than just selling a message.

Cabrera and Alex live on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, where they've built FutureSwell with respect for Hawaiian and Polynesian culture and tradition, and Andrew closes the profile with a congratulations to the couple on becoming parents. She was previously a guest on Andrew's How to Protect the Ocean podcast, part of the Speak Up for Blue network, and shares her daily message on easing ocean and climate anxiety as @carissaandclimate on both TikTok and Instagram, alongside FutureSwell's own channels at futureswell.org.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro: Today's Ocean People Profile — Carissa Cabrera
1:09 Profile Begins: Meet Ocean Conservationist Carissa Cabrera
1:24 FutureSwell: What It Is and Her Husband Alex's Role
2:42 Her Path: Marine Science Degree and a Tough Job Market
3:45 Building an Ocean Career and FutureSwell's Areas of Impact
4:23 Deep Sea Mining and FutureSwell's Creator Campaigns
6:25 Follow Carissa: TikTok, Instagram, and FutureSwell's Channels
7:44 Personal News: Congratulations to Carissa and Alex

Takeaways:

Carissa Cabrera is an ocean conservationist and CEO of FutureSwell, an ocean conservation media organization she co-founded and runs with her husband, Alex.

She holds a B.S. in ecology and evolutionary biology (marine science minor) from the University of Arizona and an M.S. in marine science from Hawaiʻi Pacific University (2018).

FutureSwell organizes a community of ocean content creators around campaigns on issues like deep sea mining, marine protected areas, and coastline resilience, and, per Andrew, pays creators a fee to appear in campaign videos.

Her content, posted as @carissaandclimate on TikTok and Instagram, frames ocean conservation as something anyone can act on, not just scientists.

She was a past guest on Andrew's How to Protect the Ocean podcast (Speak Up for Blue network).

She and Alex live on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, and recently welcomed their first child (per the host; not independently confirmed publicly, see flags above).

Follow her ongoing work at futureswell.org and @carissaandclimate.

#OceanConservation #MarineBiology #SaveOurOceans #ProtectTheOcean #OceanAwareness #BluePlanet #ConservationMatters #ScienceForChange #SustainableOceans
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