Farah Obaidullah’s life has pivoted around the ocean. Growing up in Gabon and the Netherlands, she spent as much time as possible in or near the water, snorkelling, rescuing marine animals and picking up beach litter. As an adult, she spent a decade as an ocean campaigner for Greenpeace and later became an independent ocean advocate and founder of the NGO Women4Oceans.
Farah’s latest project is a book, The Ocean and Us, published this year by Springer Nature. It is a textbook-style resource with chapters written by more than 35 female experts on topics such as climate change, overfishing, pollution, and ocean management schemes like marine protected areas and blue economy projects. There are also chapters on the human relationship with the ocean, such as the connection between the ocean and human health, and the ethical treatment of marine animals. The book also includes chapters that explore diversity and inclusion in the ocean space.
Head over to Mongabay to read an interview with Farah where she talks about her book and the most pressing issues facing the ocean right now.