Meet the Alliance Team

Throughout 2023, we are sitting down with members of the team to learn about their backgrounds and work for the Blue Nature Alliance. This month, we hear from our teammate Maël Imirizaldu, Regional Lead of Pacific & Francophone Engagements.

Tell us about your educational and professional background. What drew you to the field of ocean conservation?

I grew up in New Caledonia, an island in the South Pacific that is home to the world’s biggest lagoon, six world heritage sites, and an incredible level of environmental and biological diversity. Can you imagine a better playground? As a kid, I was lucky to spend so much time in the waters around the island, gaining a wealth of knowledge about the fish we caught, the coral reefs we explored, and the ocean we sailed — all without even realizing that I was learning. These hours underwater instilled in me a deep love of the ocean and a drive to learn about all of the intricate ways that nature and people are connected.

When I got to university, I was surprised to find out that this thing that I loved to explore for fun was something that I could formally study — and eventually transform into a career. After completing my master's degree in marine science in 2007, I went on a professional quest to experience as many different things as I could to contribute to the preservation of my home island, the broader region, and the people that I love. I ended up finding the right balance and the ability to achieve what I wanted through a position with Conservation International’s Center for Oceans. I have been working with Conservation International for 12 years now, first as the New Caledonia Marine Program Manager and more recently, as Senior Regional Officer for the Blue Nature Alliance.

What is your role in the Blue Nature Alliance and what are you currently working on?

As the primary conduit for the Alliance’s engagement with sites in the Pacific and other Francophone places across the globe, I develop and support partnerships that advance large-scale ocean conservation through finance and technical support. That involves cultivating trustful relationships with governments, local partners, and all other types of marine stakeholders, designing projects, providing guidance, and solving emerging challenges throughout project implementation. I am also an active proponent of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in the ocean conservation sector.

In the four years I have been in this role, I have overseen partnerships in the Seychelles, New Caledonia, Niue, Australia, and the Solomon Islands. I am currently focusing on countries that have made significant recent progress with their ocean plans, including Samoa and Tonga. But the South Pacific, where the ocean is ever present, is a large and very active region. I have no doubt that I’ll stay busy with exciting projects and new partnerships for years to come.

The partners you work with in Niue just made a major announcement. Can you tell us what happened?

What a journey! Niue made a big splash in the conservation world when Prime Minister Hon. Dalton Tagelagi announced the release of 127,000 Ocean Conservation Commitments (OCCs) at the UN Climate Week in New York. Ocean Conservation Commitments are a new financial mechanism that enables contributors to sponsor a square kilometer of Niue’s ocean waters. With a payment of USD $148 (NZ $250), anyone can help protect Niue’s ocean — a sanctuary for humpback whales, endemic sea snakes, gray reef sharks, among others — for 20 years!

The same way people would ‘adopt’ a turtle, a shark or a whale, now you can do it all at once by sponsoring a piece of ocean. OCCs enable a holistic program of conservation, sustainable development, and climate resilience to manage and preserve Niue’s blue assets for the people of Niue, the region, and beyond.

Ocean Conservation Commitments are a pragmatic response from local leaders who are stretched thin, trying to wrangle philanthropic funding to support long-term marine protections. OCCs offer a reliable and durable stream of finance for conservation, one that is equitable, scalable, and replicable.

What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?

The ocean is a moving and living thing. Quite often when you spend days in meetings and on calls, you may lose sight of the very thing you are trying so hard to preserve every day. When I get to this point, I go to the ocean in person. In permanent motion, the ocean never offers the same view, or even the same wave, twice. I've dedicated my career to protecting the ocean and I get to work with a lot of brilliant, determined, and fierce people who share my commitment.

There is so much to look forward to in the year ahead. I look forward to seeing even more OCCs sponsored and Niue expanding their conservation program. I look forward to the Seychelles establishing a formal governance system for its network of MPAs. I look forward to witnessing the growing leadership of Kanak customary authorities in the governance of New Caledonia's marine park. I look forward to seeing new conservation areas established around Pacific islands like the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Samoa. And, last but not least, I look forward to meeting new partners and embarking on entirely new ocean conservation journeys. Bring it on!