Co-founder of the international #Motion4theOcean movement
Recognised as a “30 under 30” global environmental leader by the NAAEE
Winner, UK Women of the Future Award 2023

Emily is a multi-award-winning expert at the forefront of driving positive change for our ocean and all of us that depend on it. She has a strong track-record in the development of pioneering projects that engage people with our ocean and its protection; and has secured over £5m in funding for inclusive marine and coastal conservation projects in the UK. Emily is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and previously served as a Trustee of the UK’s leading marine charity, Marine Conservation Society.

Emily is a co-founder of the #Motion4theOcean movement. Alongside fellow ocean experts, Dr Pamela Buchan and Nicola Bridge, Emily co-authored a model “Motion for the Ocean” – an evidence-based blueprint for local ocean action.  27 councils, together serving over 4 million people, have so far made an Ocean Recovery Declaration using the Motion for the Ocean – positive news for ocean health and the communities that depend on it. Emily presented the Motion for the Ocean at the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024.

Emily is a credible ocean advocate, as comfortable speaking to a school group as to a TV crew or a government Minister. She has appeared on national TV & radio, regularly appears on podcasts, and has written for various magazines discussing the issues of the day. Watch her speak at the International Marine Conservation Congress here and on a national Sky News interview here. She is committed to recognising when to use her voice and when to pass the mic.

Emily has spent much of the last year working on an expedition ship in Antarctica and the Americas.

She shares her adventures on Marine Biology Life.
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Key Achievements & Recent Work

• Presented the Motion for the Ocean at the UNESCO Cities with the Ocean Event at the UN Ocean Decade Conference 2024, Barcelona. 
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• Winner, Women of the Future Awards 2023 for her work in ocean conservation and her potential for global impact.
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• Co-founded the Motion for the Ocean initiative, co-authoring the model #Motion4theOcean and supporting local authorities in the development of local Ocean Recovery Declarations (2021 – present)
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• Highly Commended – “Inspirational Person” category at the UK’s national Flood and Coast Excellence Awards, June 2022 for her work inspiring and facilitating nature-positive local policy and practice.n
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• 2021 Winner – Rising Star Awards – Charity and Not-for-Profit Category for her work for England’s coast and its communities.

• Recognised as one of “30 under 30” global environmental leaders in 2020 by the North American Association for Environment Education. Emily was selected for her work to enable a wider range of people to enjoy and take action to protect our coasts and seas.
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• Led the LGA Coastal Special Interest Group, a group of 57 local authorities serving 60% of England’s coastline and 16 million people (2019-2022). Emily positioned the group as an influential and respected voice on coastal issues, co-founded the national OneCoast coalition and was joint Secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Coastal Communities.
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• Developed a £5m programme of marine conservation and education projects, the first of its kind in the UK (2016-2019)
  Emily led the programme development process, securing match funding and writing the successful Stage 1 application, securing £250,000 in development funding. She was then appointed as an advisor to the Partnership Board and contributed significantly to the documentation for the full Stage 2 bid. This pioneering scheme was awarded £2.78m funding in March 2020, see here.
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• Developed a major new conservation project on the Dee Estuary (2018-2021)
  Emily was commissioned to advise on project development and community consultation, and to write the (successful) Stage 1 funding bid. The project was awarded £101,400 development funding in late 2018. Emily was then a professional advisor to the development team and a full application was submitted in May 2021. £540,000 was awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in September 2021. Read the Stage 1 announcement here, including a quote from Emily.
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• Published new research on UK humpback whales with all data collected by volunteers. This research reported on the first ever photo-ID match of a UK humpback whale to their Arctic feeding grounds and suggests that British seas act as a migratory stopover/alternative destination for migrating humpback whales. Read Emily’s paper, published in Marine Biodiversity Records, here.
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• Co-led research expeditions to Sicily and the Azores to collect samples for the study of population genetics of Bottlenose Dolphins and Yellowmouth Barracuda.
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• Led a marine ecology field course in Indonesia (2019)
  Emily delivered lectures and led surveys covering the ecology and conservation of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses and sea turtles.
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• Emily has presented her work at the UK’s Coastal Futures Conference, the 5th International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC5) in Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo) and at the 2018 European Marine Science Educators Association (EMSEA) conference in Newcastle (England).

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Say hello

Contact emily@emilycunningham.co.uk