Dr. Christine A. Ward-Paige, Founder
Hello!
I am the founder and CEO of eOceans.
I am a professional marine scientist (Ph.D. + M.Sc.), inventor, and entrepreneur. I’m also a mom to kids, dogs, and chickens; I’ve fostered over 50 dogs and planted over 450,000 trees. I am dedicated to restoring ocean health and supporting the communities that depend on coastal, aquatic, and marine ecosystems — for a livable future planet.
Through over two decades of research and collaboration with communities, I’ve firsthand witnessed how destructive pollution, illegal and poorly managed fisheries, careless developments, and improper engagement with local communities on conservation strategies can be. These threats are being amplified by the effects of climate change and the push to grow the "‘Ocean Economy’.
Having transparent, timely data and information flows that include local and traditional knowledge perspectives is crucial for any project going forward.
That is what eOceans is for.
The details of eOceans as an app and platform come from 20 years of experience as a field ecologist and from leading global participatory science projects on sharks and rays, with many policy and conservation outcomes.
My MSc research was the first to show that coral reefs were being impacted by sewage pollution — dilution was not the solution to pollution. Even though the nutrients were too low to be detected in the water column, they could be detected in the skeletons of corals and sponges, and also in changes to the biodiversity of the reef. More nutrients meant fewer corals and larger boring sponges — they bore into and weaken the corals, thus making them more vulnerable to storms, harmful algae, and invading species.
For my Ph.D., which I completed in 2010, I evaluated the value and limitations of crowdsourced data for documenting shark and ray populations. I launched eOceans in 2013, while on my first maternity leave, to raise awareness about the importance and value of citizen science and the need for collaboration between scientists and ocean enthusiasts. It became the umbrella of my various research projects, including eShark, Great Fiji Shark Count, eManta, Global Marine Conservation Assessment, and Global Shark Sanctuary Evaluation.
Throughout this research, I discovered the importance of co-generated data, knowledge, and management for ocean and human health. Individuals can have an enormous impact on sustainability, recovery, and resilience and can be influential in the movement towards equitable access to the ocean if their ‘voices’ (perspectives and data) are considered.
Before participatory and citizen science projects, I spent more than 10 years in the field doing surveys of seagrass, coral reefs, conch, fishing, sea urchins, and isotope chemistry looking at eutrophication in coastal environments.
I have worked for government (NOAA and DFO), NGOs, academia, and industry and have had research programs in more than 38 countries.
I first started the idea of an app for sharks and rays, but then thought “Why just sharks and rays?" It should be all species with their health conditions, the human dimensions, and the environment — because sharks are part of a global ecosystem!” Then, I thought, it shouldn’t just be an app for me to use for my research, but rather a platform that can power all projects, by any organization, anywhere in the world — today and in the future”.
I built the eOceans platform to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and collaboration potential of my research and that of researchers and communities worldwide who are rapidly trying to track and assess the ocean and management needs.
It is my hope that the eOceans platform will be of great value to you, no matter where you are, what project you are working on, or space you are trying to protect, use, or restore. Today and in generations to come.
I believe the ocean will be much more exciting and valuable if we all work together. eOceans is the platform to make that happen.
Thanks for joining me in this massive mission to restore our oceans!
eOceans — For the oceans. For us.
