- This event has passed.
Distinguished Speaker Series: Carmen Koepfer
February 4 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Ocean Institute’s Distinguished Speaker Series, presented by the Nicholas Endowment, brings interesting innovations, real-world research, exotic experiences, and delightful discoveries to the surface through powerful presentations from an ocean of experts. Speakers present on a variety of topics ranging from ocean researchers, ocean authors, ocean artists, and ocean athletes.
Light snacks & Refreshments available for purchase at event.
Distinguished Speaker: Carmen Koepfer
Description:
Join us for a powerful evening of discovery and inspiration with M.Sc. Carmen Koepfer, a passionate Mexican scientist and storyteller dedicated to ocean conservation. In her talk, “Closing the Gap for Our Ocean Giants: A Story of Hope from Baja,” she will take you on a journey into the human heart of one of the world’s greatest marine treasures: the Gulf of California.
Once called “the world’s aquarium” by Jacques Cousteau, the Gulf is facing a silent collapse. Its iconic hammerhead shark populations have plummeted, and with them, a way of life for generations of fishermen. But this is not just an ecological story; it’s a deeply human one. It’s about communities caught between tradition and survival, who tell us, “there aren’t as many sharks as before.”
Discover how some communities have successfully pivoted to ecotourism, proving that a live shark can be worth more than a dead one. Yet, learn why this model isn’t a silver bullet. For many remote villages, the path to sustainability is blocked by isolation, lack of infrastructure, and deep economic dependence on fishing.
In this talk, you’ll hear the results of a groundbreaking study that visited 22 communities to listen, not just research. You’ll meet the guardians of the Gulf—from the 72-year-old fisherman on a 10-hour journey to the families who would lose everything if shark fishing ended—and learn how true conservation must be built on social justice.
Carmen will unveil a hopeful vision for an inclusive marine corridor from Loreto to Cabo Pulmo—a plan designed not just to protect sharks but to empower people. This is a story of resilience, innovative solutions like traceable sustainable fisheries, and the unbreakable link between the health of an ecosystem and the well-being of its human communities. This is more than a presentation; it’s a call to rethink what conservation means. It’s proof that the most effective solutions are those that listen to and lift up the people on the front lines. Come be inspired by a story of hope, and learn how empowering local guardians is the key to saving our ocean giants.
Wednesday, February 4
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Doors open at 5:30pm, talk begins at 6:00pm
$10 – General
FREE – Members
FREE – Students (with Valid ID)
About Carmen:
M.Sc. Carmen Koepfer is a marine biologist whose work lives at the powerful intersection of shark science, community stories, and actionable hope. A native of Mexico, her journey began over a decade ago as a volunteer tagging sharks in the Sea of Cortez—an experience that showed her firsthand the majesty of these ocean giants and the delicate balance of the ecosystems they rule.
Her academic path, culminating in a Master’s degree focused on the economic value of sharks in Cabo Pulmo National Park, taught her a crucial lesson: conservation is as much about people as it is about animals. This insight led her from pure research into the heart of community-based work.
Now based in California, Carmen bridges two worlds. As an educator at Ocean Institute and an analyst for a major collaborative project between Pelagios Kakunjá and Shark Stewards, she is dedicated to a singular, groundbreaking vision: protecting sharks by empowering the communities that live alongside them. Her current work on the Marine Corridor Conservation Initiative in the Gulf of California isn’t just about drawing lines on a map—it’s about listening, understanding vulnerability, and co-designing a future where both marine life and coastal communities can thrive.
Carmen’s story is one of a scientist who learned that data tells only half the tale; the other half is written in the resilience of fishing families, the challenges of remote villages, and the unwavering belief that the most effective conservation is built on justice and collaboration.
