INTRODUCING MADS
Ocean Scientist x Storyteller
British scientist Madeline (Mads) St Clair is a tropical marine biologist, divemaster, conservation filmmaker and expedition leader. Her research interests in how man-made stressors are affecting the ocean have taken her across the globe, from bioacoustics research on coral reefs to documentary projects on the disappearing glaciers of Arctic Greenland. Founder of Women in Ocean Science, she is a fierce advocate for gender equity and works to elevate female voices in the ocean space.
PRESERVING OUR OCEANS
Research & Conservation
A multi-disciplinary marine scientist with extensive field research experience, Mads’ research has largely focusessed on human stressors and how they impact marine megafauna. After graduating from the University of Exeter with BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences, Mads went onto obtain her Master’s degree in Tropical Marine Biology from Essex University, obtaining the highest mark for her thesis on anthropogenic noise pollution and receiving the Marine Biology Prize for outstanding academic achievement. From Indonesia to Greenland to Mozambique, Mads has conducted marine research and fieldwork in many corners of the world and has worked with organisations including Saving The Blue, Mobula Conservation, Love The Oceans Manta Trust, Operation Wallacea and Gili Shark Conservation.
Though she hopes to eventually conduct a PhD on large filter-feeding megafauna, at present Mads is enjoying challenging the “academia status quo”, having leveraged her social media reach to fund several cutting-edge independent research projects. See her current research here.
Protecting Our Oceans
CAPTURING THE NATURAL WORLD
Photography & Filmmaking
Seeing the destruction of the marine environment first-hand, in recent years, Mads transitioned from scientist to advocate, channelling her energy into becoming a freelance natural history filmmaker, commercial drone operator and digital content creator. Mads has worked as an underwater photographer in Ningaloo, Indonesia, the UK and the Arctic, shooting content for Sky TV and Channel 4 News alongside several commercial brands. Her drive to learn, investigate and document our oceans has taken her to some of the remotest corners of the planet, and in August 2021, she found herself in the wilderness of Greenland, for an all-female exploration and documentary project, investigating climate change and plastic pollution in the sub-Arctic ocean.
“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
— Quote Source
