Episode 6

Featuring Amber Sparks, Co Founder of Blue Latitudes

Today we are getting curious about our oceans and how we can protect and enhance ecological biodiversity. If you have seen an off shore oil and gas rigs in the ocean, you will know that they are pretty unsightly but what lies beneath them can be an abundant, colorful artificial reef. To talk more about this and many other ocean projects on this episode, is Amber Sparks the co founder of Blue Latitudes.

Amber Sparks

Amber Sparks is a marine conservation biologist and entrepreneur, Forbes 30 under 30 awardee and even has her likeness displayed at the Smithsonian to inspire girls in the sciences. Born and raised in Laguna Beach, Amber has made waves as co-founder of Blue Latitudes through her work repurposing offshore oil platforms into artificial reefs. A graduate of UC Berkeley and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Amber began her career supporting the launch of underwater street view at Google before co-founding Blue Latitudes LLC in 2015. At Blue Latitudes, Amber has spearheaded efforts to convert over a dozen offshore oil and gas platforms into permanent artificial reef habitats, conserving over 72 acres of habitat in oceans worldwide.

Amber is also the co-founder of Blue Latitudes Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to addressing conservation challenges at the intersection of industry and the environment. Through her foundation, Amber works to educate stakeholders on the value of a healthy ocean, encouraging them to think differently about the future of ocean conservation, and has led scientific research expeditions from Malaysia to the Kingdom of Tonga and produced multiple award-winning documentary films.

Amber resides in Laguna and draws inspiration from the coastal beauty of the Pacific, as well as her close-knit family, including her husband and two children, parents, grandmother, and siblings.

HELPFUL LINKS:

www.instagram.com/becurious_podcast

www.instagram.com/bluelatitudesfoundation

www.bluelatitudesfoundation.org

CREDITS:

The BE CURIOUS PODCAST is brought to you by ECODA MEDIA

Host: Louise Houghton

Production by: Deviants Media

Producer: Louise Houghton

Assistant Producer: Marta Wagner

Assistant Producer: Ralph Cortez

Motion Graphics: Josh Dage