Nathalie was inspired by her experience as a diver and her familiarity with the challenges of ocean conservation to co-found the Oceanmar Project in 2020. The project was first online, launching as an Instagram account through which the Ocearmar team shared information on ocean conservation. Noticing a demand for ocean education, Nathalie and her co-founder, Mariana, began offering online courses during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, before launching their work in-person. In addition, the team has also worked on sustainable tourism projects.
Nathalie attended the One Young World Summit in Munich, 2021, and she participated as a digital workshop facilitator at the Summit in Manchester, 2022, on the topic of Sustainable Blue Tourism. As a One Young World Ambassador, Nathalie was part of the Global Youth Inquiry, an initiative between One Young World, Mishcon de Reya and the Democracy and Culture Foundation, that took evidence of 23 One Young World leaders working in the climate space globally.
The Oceanmar Project has communities in Spain, Germany, South Africa and Mexico that support their work and activities. They organise educational events with local communities, hold online courses and have participated in conferences in various universities throughout Latin America. Thanks to their educational initiatives, they have reached over 1,800 students on topics ranging from ocean literacy and marine biodiversity to zero waste living. They have carried out over 20 beach and underwater clean-ups in Spain and Mexico, removing 100 kg of trash. In South Africa, they worked with townships on education and recycling to make sustainable eco-bricks. By the end of 2023, Nathalie and her co-founder aim to create an ocean conservation and educational centre.
“During the Summit, I realised that there are a lot of people working to make the world better, and it inspired me to dream bigger, to not stay small with my ambitions. After the Summit, I did some leadership courses with One Young World that helped me develop my communication and leadership skills to be more effective.”
