Email C.Beggs@ProjectBlueHope.com to join the team!
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Christine Beggs, Founder & Author -
Read Christine’s posts here
With a Master’s in Marine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), Christine Beggs is the founder of Project Blue Hope. Her zeal for understanding the complexities of marine issues and coral reef protection drove her decision to attend the RSMAS program, interdisciplinary at its core, which prepares students for jobs actively informing policy and engaged in conservation efforts.
Beginning life as a dancer, turned scientist, turned entrepreneur, diver and conservationist, Christine says, “It has been said that we have ‘unlearned the patience and attention of lingering at the thresholds where the unknown awaits us.’ This is what my connections with communities and the ocean teach me and what I try to impart.”
“My skill sets and life experience are certainly an eclectic mix, but I feel a fundamental connection to the water and am passionate about ocean preservation. What you love should form the foundation for your life’s work and that’s why I do what I do,” says Christine.
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Lindsay Gordon, Web Editor & Blog Author –
Read Lindsay’s posts here
Lindsay is currently in her junior year as an Undergraduate studying Marine Affairs and Policy at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine Science. She also studies Economics. Lindsay has always been a promoter of environmental conservation, especially in regards to the ocean. She has a strong passion for saving our oceans and spreading the conservation effort through education and outreach.
Lindsay grew up in New Jersey, only miles away from the beach where she spent much of her time. Her passion for the ocean grew when she embarked on a trip called Sail Caribbean at age sixteen. During her trip sailing around the British Virgin Islands, Lindsay learned to SCUBA dive, was educated about the ocean, performed scientific research in regards to the ocean, and volunteered to clean up beaches.
“This three week trip changed my life’s direction. I came back from my trip a changed person, dedicated to protecting our earth’s oceans. I made it my life’s goal from that day on,” says Lindsay.
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Brittany Leigh, Education Specialist
Brittany Leigh is currently a first-year Biological Oceanography doctoral student at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science (CMS). Ever since she was a little girl snorkeling in the Florida Keys, Brittany has marveled at the beauty and diversity of the ocean’s wildlife. She noticed how drastically the ocean has changed in her lifetime and is dedicating her work to understanding it.
She focuses mainly on marine microbes and their presence throughout the globe. “Marine microbes play such a huge role in homeostasis of every marine organism. Understanding how they work is key to sustaining abundant life in the oceans,” says Brittany.
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Anthony Gill, Outreach Coordinator & Blog Author
– Read Anthony’s posts here –
Anthony is currently working as an intern at Sea Turtle Inc. on South Padre Island off the coast of Texas. He is a graduate of Texas A&M with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. Growing up only 30 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico, he has had a deep appreciation for the ocean all his life. Whether fishing, sitting on the beach as a kid, or now snorkeling, surfing and diving, there has always been a deep need within him to conserve the marine environment.
Continuing to work hard towards conserving the ocean is a life-long goal and a passionate endeavor for him. Living as a visible example of sustainability, furthering his own education and encouraging others to conserve and live sustainably are all part of Antony’s mission. “Education opens our eyes and ignites our passions towards the beautiful creation and creatures in front of us,” says Anthony.
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Annam Raza, Education Specialist & Blog Author
– Read Annam’s posts here –
Annam Raza is currently in her fourth year at the University of California-San Diego, pursuing a Bachelor’s in Environmental Systems- Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, with a focus on Marine Biology and a minor in Literature. Born and raised in Dubai, she grew up next to the Arabian Gulf and was always fascinated by the water.
With both her parents being doctors, she was always surrounded by biology; however, her academic interests were not medical, but aquatic. She chose to come to California just so she could get a chance to live next to the Pacific Ocean. Moving between the two places she now calls home over the course of her education made her truly appreciate the difference in marine habitats, as well as making her realize the importance of their biodiversity. She hopes she will always be able to live by the water and contribute to marine conservation.
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Shawn McMahon, Education Specialist & Blog Author
– Read Shawn’s posts here –
Shawn McMahon is a graduate from Smith College with his degree in Environmental Geosciences. He dreams of running a program that educates youth about environmental science through outdoor adventure and sports. He has been an ocean enthusiast since his grade school field trip to the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute in the Florida Keys.
Having later attended the Seacamp program on Big Pine Key, FL and ActionQuest in the British Virgin Islands, Shawn understands the importance of environmental outreach and education for future generations. He looks forward to giving back to the environmental education community that inspired his life goals. Shawn has conducted research on percent live coral cover in the Bahamas and performed his final semester project comparing present day coral reef decline to the End-Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago. Shawn hopes to continue learning and fostering awareness about the ocean and all of its diverse environments.
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Alice Schreiber, Blog Author & Multimedia Specialist
– Read Alice’s posts here –
Alice is in her freshman year as an Undergraduate, double majoring in Marine Affairs and Policy and Anthropology at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She is minoring in Political Science and Visual Journalism, with a focus in Photography. Alice is a third generation South Floridian and has never lived farther than a bike ride away from the beach. As a young child, trips to the Keys and camping trips with her family were a common occurrence.
Environmental awareness was not so much taught, as it was lived, and her parents encouraged her and her brothers to always be respectful of the world around them. Though primarily a ballet dancer, during high school, Alice started sailing and scuba diving. She also spent a short time assisting with shark research at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas.
Seeing the degree to which the ocean needed help, she knew for certain that marine science and conservation was what she would dedicate her life to. A classical ballet dancer for fourteen years, it was her appreciation for art and the knowledge of how deeply it can inspire that made Alice want to connect conservation with artistic elements. Alice says, “We owe it to the Earth and ourselves to protect and defend the life on this planet, no matter how hard it seems. After all, ‘We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.’”
