Christine Figgener - Ending the Age of Plastic

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Next Generation Leader

Footprint Recognizes Marine Conservation Biologist Christine Figgener With 'Footprint Ocean Hero' Award

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Footprint Ocean Hero Award

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How Did Sea Turtle Get a Straw Up Its Nose?

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Do You Really Need a Straw With That?

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Nature's Turtle Nursery

A flipper tag for a turtle

Field vehicle 

5 satellite transmitters to track turtles in Costa Rica

Only 1 out of 1000 baby sea turtles make it to adulthood. Christine works to protect nesting sea turtles & their eggs from people who steal and sell them.

Christine Figgener

She Recorded That Heartbreaking Turtle Video

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Straw Wars

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What I learnt pulling a straw out of a turtle’s nose

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This Heartbreaking (And Graphic) Video Will Make You Rethink That Plastic Straw

LA times

Return of the olive ridley: Sea turtles make spectacular comeback in Mexico

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What is the real impact of the #strawban?

STRAWS Documentary

Donate to Christine - A Marine Biologist Protecting Sea Turtles

Christine is the founder of Namaka Conservation Science. It works to protect threatened turtles in Costa Rica through research, direct action, and engaging the community to decrease illegal hunting and increase the overall protection of the species.

SDG 14 Life Below Water

SDG 13 Climate Action

## In short
Christine is a Marine Biologist who took part in setting the global anti-plastic movement in motion, now fighting for the survival and protection of sea turtles. 

**Turtle and the straw**
In 2015, my research team and I found a male olive ridley turtle with a plastic straw lodged up its nose, I filmed the removal and uploaded it to social media where it went viral. This provided me with a voice in the conversation around the use of single-use plastics and other environmental issues affecting marine life.

**Dangerous times for turtles**
The main problem for sea turtles is the high mortality rate amongst adult turtles and the low survival rates of babies. The statistics say that only about 1 out of 1,000 turtle babies make it to adulthood. Naturally, this means the survival of adult turtles is critical for the survival and recovery of our sea turtle species.

**The Sea Turtle Biologist**
So it is of the utmost importance to protect the few turtles that have survived to adulthood, or sooner or later there will be no individuals left to reproduce.

## My organization
At the moment, I am an independent conservation scientist that is collaborating with different local stakeholders and organizations. I will use the coming period to analyze how my conservation efforts will be best utilized in the future. This might lead me to continue as an independent scientist or to create my own organization.

In short
Christine is a Marine Biologist who took part in setting the global anti-plastic movement in motion, now fighting for the survival and protection of sea turtles.

Turtle and the straw
In 2015, my research team and I found a male olive ridley turtle with a plastic straw lodged up its nose, I filmed the removal and uploaded it to social media where it went viral. This provided me with a voice in the conversation around the use of single-use plastics and other environmental issues affecting marine life.

Dangerous times for turtles
The main problem for sea turtles is the high mortality rate amongst adult turtles and the low survival rates of babies. The statistics say that only about 1 out of 1,000 turtle babies make it to adulthood. Naturally, this means the survival of adult turtles is critical for the survival and recovery of our sea turtle species.

The Sea Turtle Biologist
So it is of the utmost importance to protect the few turtles that have survived to adulthood, or sooner or later there will be no individuals left to reproduce.

My organization
At the moment, I am an independent conservation scientist that is collaborating with different local stakeholders and organizations. I will use the coming period to analyze how my conservation efforts will be best utilized in the future. This might lead me to continue as an independent scientist or to create my own organization.

Only about 1 out of 1000 baby sea turtles make it to adulthood. Christine works on the ground to protect nesting sea turtles and their eggs from people who steal and sell them. 

Marine Biologist

Only about 1 out of 1000 baby sea turtles make it to adulthood. Christine is working on the ground to protect nesting sea turtles and their eggs from people who steal and sell them. 

Donate now to save sea turtles

This is Christine

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