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Amplifying Storyteller Voices

Our partner, Ocean Culture Life brings Ocean Storytellers and Ocean Guardians together to give a voice to the ocean. Their annual Storyteller Grant empowers young creatives to tell stories and fund projects that highlight the beauty of our ocean, its people, and the organisations that are working tirelessly to protect it. 

ABOUT OCL

Ocean Culture Life is a community with an unconventional approach to marine conservation: They bring Ocean Storytellers and Ocean Guardians together to give voice to the ocean, highlighting the importance of emotional connection to the sea. They concentrate on the interconnectedness between water and earth and promote collaboration in order to foster a healthy blue planet.
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JULIA OCHS

Julia is a talented photographer from Germany, and for the last ten years, she has dedicated her photography to the ocean. Collaborating with her fellow ocean enthusiasts, research institutes, and NGOs, Julia has documented their incredible work and the endless beauty of the ocean. While residing in the landlocked city of Stuttgart for most of the year, Julia proudly founded the OCEAN GALLERY – a space dedicated to raising awareness for ocean conservation through art.

PROJECT

Julia’s documentary tells a story of hope amid a relentless battle against dangerous ghost gear in the open sea ecosystem, particularly focusing on the Mediterranean Sea. The documentary features two ocean guardians tirelessly working to address this issue—saving one turtle at a time and striving to make the Mediterranean Sea safer for marine life.

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YOLANDA WATERS

Arran is a filmmaker and animator specializing in science and nature content, focusing on environmental transformation. With a background in science communication, Arran engages diverse audiences with stories about scientific discoveries and wildlife. Growing up in Bristol, Arran was drawn to wildlife filmmaking and has worked on shows like Netflix’s Wild Babies and The Americas. Passionate about the ocean, Arran has volunteered with The Marine Diaries and collaborated with organizations like EcoSapien. Using camera skills and self-taught animation, Arran highlights ocean issues and conservation efforts, producing videos on new technology and climate change to educate and inspire.

PROJECT

Divers for Climate – Uniting for Climate Action Above and Below the Waves.

Beneath the waves, a silent crisis has been unfolding. Climate change is decimating marine and coastal ecosystems worldwide. Yet, the ocean has still not found a voice in the climate movement. Divers for Climate is more than a project; it’s a rallying cry for the global dive community to unite and become a powerful force in the fight against climate change.

Community is etched into diving culture. Her storytelling project “dives” into the heart of the dive community and tells the story of how Divers for Climate, a community-led initiative, was formed.

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ARRAN MORAN

Yolanda Waters is an environmental and marine social scientist, dive instructor, and founder of Divers for Climate. Her PhD research explored the connections between people and the ocean and their potential to engage people in climate action. Passionate about the ocean since age 12, she overcame her fear of waves and fish, now considering the ocean her true home. Yolanda collaborates closely with divers and dive tourism operators, focusing on the social and educational impacts of underwater experiences. 

PROJECT

“Waves of Change” follows a female technical diver and photographer whose life takes an unexpected turn 60 meters below the surface. After becoming paralyzed, she refuses to let her disability confine her to the shore, and the film chronicles her journey to adapt to disabled diving. Her love for the ocean remains strong, and the film highlights her struggles, triumphs, and unwavering passion. It also exposes the inaccessibility of blue spaces for disabled people and features Wheel The World, an online platform transforming accessible travel. “Waves of Change” is a story of resilience, camaraderie, and breaking barriers, showcasing the ocean as an inclusive space for all.

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ALEXANDRA JOHNSTON

Born in the UK, and raised between the UK and America, growing up next to the ocean changed Alexandra’s life completely. An accomplished wildlife filmmaker,  Alexandra is on a mission to create a legacy that will inspire others to show compassion to our oceans and marine life through her film production called Searching For Chinook. Alexandra is also a volunteer for Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project and can be seen in ‘Converse – Public Access Campaign’ talking about her marine activism.

PROJECT

As an accomplished wildlife filmmaker, Alex is on a mission to create a legacy that will inspire others to show compassion to our oceans and marine life through her film productions. With the support of the OCL Grant, Alex is advocating for marine conservation & cetacean welfare through documentary filmmaking, focusing on the endangered Iberian orcas that are threatened by lack of prey and human interference. Working closely with biologists and researchers, Alex will be documenting  their behaviour and raise their much needed global awareness.
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REYANNE MUSTAFA

Reyanne (Rey) is a passionate upcycling enthusiast and co-founder of SOULMUCH Foods, where she has helped rescue over 50,000 pounds of food. Her commitment to sustainability began at age nine after seeing a photo of a malnourished polar bear. Reyanne is an entrepreneur and storyteller who has spoken at Tedx, the United Nations, Coachella, and the Global Wave Conference. She partners with companies like Starbucks, blending entrepreneurship with art activism. Her viral artwork and speeches advocate for sustainability and ocean preservation, inspiring positive change and climate optimism.

PROJECT

Ocean Born Foundation is sponsoring Rey’s latest artwork, which uses marine plastic to inspire environmental change and young activists worldwide. She will collaborate with local artisan women in Indonesia, turning plastic waste into art that provides income and empowers them to educate their children about environmental issues. Rey’s collaborative art will highlight brands responsible for plastic waste, using grassroots methods to urge them to adopt alternative packaging.

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NOVA WEST

Nova is an underwater cinematographer and National Geographic explorer with a passion for wildlife filmmaking. Their journey began in their backyard in small-town Minnesota, where they nurtured a fascination for the natural world. With a camera in hand, Nova found a way to capture and share the beauty of their discoveries. Nova said that existing as a trans person in the water is such a magical experience, and getting to tell the stories of the queer community within aquatic spaces brings them so much joy.

PROJECT

Ocean Born Foundation and Ocean Culture Life are supporting Nova’s National Geographic project which aims to tackle 2 goals – change the way we see nature and the ocean and call in marginalised communities and get them more involved in wildlife spaces and conservation efforts.
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EMMA SUKERTA

Emma, an 18-year-old Indonesian Canadian from Bali’s Banjar Seseh, is an environmental activist and divemaster with a heritage rooted in local fishing. As the leader of Bye Bye Plastic Bags Jakarta, she established 18 school clubs and spoke at over 50 engagements on climate advocacy and youth empowerment. Her involvement with global leaders through the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia highlights her significant role in environmental dialogue. After graduating, she participated in marine studies in Seychelles with Save Our Seas and received a scholarship at Blue Corner Dive. She has also completed externships with National Geographic and The Nature Conservancy, currently focusing on acoustic restoration in coral ecosystems.

PROJECT

Her latest project, “DiveHERs of Indonesia: A Coral Catch Story,” a documentary supported by Ocean Born Foundation and Ocean Culture Life, delves into the lives of Indonesian women in coral restoration. This film aims to showcase their dedication and the empowerment through environmental stewardship, documenting the transformative experiences of participants in the Coral Catch program. Emma’s work is a narrative of resilience, dedication, and the collective impact of women on marine conservation, aimed at inspiring both local and global communities towards oceanic preservation.

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Akansha Tiwari

Akansha is a wildlife filmmaker from India who works on stories that highlight local voices and initiatives. Her recent projects have documented marine conservation, mental health, the COVID pandemic, big cats facing habitat encroachment, and the fishing industry. As a part of the impact campaigns of these projects, she has been working with different stakeholders to bring about awareness and policy change towards the issues her films document.

She is currently looking at solutions to the problem of marine debris and producing projects that promote inclusive storytelling.

PROJECT

Ocean Born Foundation is proud to support Akansha’s project “Children of the Sea” – a short video series of stories and projects from the Arabian Sea featuring people especially women and industry influencers from the fishing community who bring environmental sensitivity and sustainability within the practices of the industry.

Akansha hopes that through her short films and media content, she can complement outreach and awareness initiatives, providing some visual aid and reference for better impact and long-term ecosystem empowerment particularly focused on discarded fishing gear.

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JUMA GWERENYA

Juma is the Community Education and Outreach Officer at the Olive Ridley Project (ORP) in Kenya. As part of his role at the ORP, Juma has developed the Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Kwale County, working with nine fishing communities along a 40km stretch of coastline. This program aims to cultivate positive attitudes towards marine conservation initiatives, ultimately reducing threats to sea turtles and their habitats while maintaining healthy coastal ecosystems in Kenya’s South Coast region.

PROJECT

Ocean Born Foundation is excited to support Juma’s project – Voices of Kwale: Empowering Coastal Communities Towards Sea Turtle and Ocean Conservation. “Voices of Kwale” isn’t just a story; it’s a catalyst for change, measured and maximised through a robust impact framework. The project aims to be a model for community-driven conservation, by actively engaging local communities and empowering them to take charge of conservation efforts.

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