3/26 Lunch Seminar with Ocean Conservancy: Fighting for Trash Free Seas
Fighting for Trash Free Seas
Scientists estimate that more than 11 million metric tons of plastic is entering our ocean every year, affecting the health of wildlife, people and local economies. But Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas® Program is leading the way with practical solutions. By empowering everyday people to take concrete actions, strengthening the science on ocean plastics, promoting sound policies, and engaging leaders from industry, government, and NGOs, Ocean Conservancy has been at the forefront of the marine debris challenge for more than 30 years. Hear from members of Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas team about what Ocean Conservancy is doing to achieve its goal of reducing the amount of plastic entering the ocean by half within a decade, and take a deep dive on efforts to address lost and abandoned fishing gear through the Global Ghost Gear Initiative.
Nicholas Mallos, Senior Director, Trash Free Seas Program®, Ocean Conservancy
Nick oversees Ocean Conservancy’s global portfolio of work on marine debris, including its annual International Coastal Cleanup, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative® and its Science for Solutions research portfolio on ocean plastic pollution. Nick has extensive field experience researching ocean plastics – his debris-related assignments have taken him to more than 20 countries across 5 continents, within the North Pacific Gyre and to remote Midway Atoll in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. He has testified before the U.S. Senate on the sources and impacts of ocean plastics, and has engaged in policy discussions at international fora including APEC and the United Nations. Nick conducted his graduate work at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment (MEM’10), and he is a frequent media commentator on marine debris. He is based at Ocean Conservancy’s office in Portland, Oregon.
Jaclyn McGarry, Manager, Global Ghost Gear Initiative, Ocean Conservancy
Jackie serves as the program manager for Ocean Conservancy’s Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), a cross-stakeholder alliance of fishing industry, private sector, corporates, NGOs, academia and governments focused on solving the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear worldwide. She coordinates between GGGI leadership and GGGI’s projects around the globe. Prior to her role with the GGGI, Jackie served as a member of Ocean Conservancy’s digital communications team, helping ocean champions to find their voices as storytellers. Jackie earned a master’s in coastal environmental management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment (MEM’18) and a certificate in community based environmental management. She is based in Ocean Conservancy’s office in Washington, DC.
OPWG is proud to sponsor an ocean-focused lunch seminar series. The seminar series offers the Duke community the opportunity to explore a variety of perspectives on current ocean issues or experiences.
Past speakers have included faculty members, working professionals and Duke alumni sharing their research and experiences. The seminars are designed to engage participants and foster discussion on relevant ocean topics.
For information on past speakers, please visit the Past Events page.
