Science to Action: Environmental Education and Public Policy for Marine Conservation
Project Leader
Through school programs, codes of conduct, policy tools, and outreach materials, Pelagios Kakunja aims to raise awareness, encourage sustainable practices, and contribute to the creation and effective management of marine protected areas.
Education and Outreach for Marine Conservation
The project focuses on developing environmental education programs for elementary schools, creating public policy tools, and producing outreach materials to promote marine conservation. Through workshops, scientific research, and active community engagement, Pelagios Kakunja is building a future where healthy, sustainable seas are protected by science-based conservation efforts.
PROJECT LEADER
Dr. James Ketchum
Dr. James Ketchum is Director of Marine Conservation and Co-founder of Pelagios Kakunja. With a Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis, he has studied sharks and pelagic species since 1998. His research on hammerhead sharks helped establish MigraMar, a key network in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
He leads the Marine Megafauna Lab at Pelagios Kakunjá and is an Adjunct Researcher at CIBNOR. Focused on shark ecology in the Gulf of California, he has over 50 publications and is a Mission Blue Hope Spot Champion, featured in documentaries like National Geographic’s Shark Superhighway.
Building Knowledge and Protecting Habitats
This initiative will implement an enviromental education curriculum on shark and ray biology, design codes of conduct for diving activities, and support the establishment of new marine protected areas and conservation policies.
By combining scientific data with community awareness and collaboration with government agencies, the project aims to safeguard vulnerable marine species and their habitats. Deliverables include educational materials, policy briefs, management plans, and infographics designed to equip students, decision-makers, and the general public with the knowledge and tools necessary for effective marine conservation.
Our Other Projects
Check out our other contribution to help our ocean
This project is the first acoustic tracking study of Indo-Pacific Leopard Sharks in the Derawan Islands. By monitoring shark movements…
Continue Reading
Once thought extinct in the Eastern Pacific, hawksbill turtles are making a comeback in Ecuador. Through research, community work, and…
Continue Reading
The Thai Whale Shark Project, founded in 2017, has identified over 400 individual whale sharks in Thai waters, making Thailand…
Continue Reading
The giant manta ray (Mobula birostris) is an endangered species increasingly threatened by bycatch in northern Peru’s small-scale fisheries. This…
Continue Reading
Investigating the rising trend of shark-based pet snacks in Thailand’s fast-growing pet market, where numerous products made from shark parts…
Continue Reading
The Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery Project (StAR) is a collaborative conservation effort aimed at restoring healthy populations of Indo-Pacific…
Continue Reading
In Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, Mision Tiburon is restoring vital mangrove ecosystems that serve as nursery grounds for endangered shark…
Continue Reading
Blue Fellowship empowers young women in marine science to lead ocean conservation projects in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
Continue Reading
This project explores whether sharks experience pain beyond reflexive responses, aiming to deepen our understanding of their nervous systems. The…
Continue Reading
Exploring the ecology and population patterns of oceanic manta rays (Mobula birostris) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
Continue Reading