Lessons from the Ocean： Satoumi and the Next Generation of Ocean Stewards ｜ National Geographic

I've always found solace being in nature and to me diving is a special kind of immersion, a literal immersion into a world that feels both strange and familiar. After all it's where we came from, like all of life. You know standing here with this coastline it's hard to believe that we're just two hours from Tokyo, a mega city of what 14 million people? Yeah, up until the 19th century most of Japan's coastal ecosystems would have been as pristine as this place, but two centuries of development have obviously changed that. I mean it feels to me that we're at a crucial point where we have an opportunity to recalibrate our relationship with the ocean and I think a key way of doing that moving forward is to reconnect with it. Japan's culture and geography is shaped by the ocean. It harbors one of the world's most dynamic and species-rich marine environments. I think when you spend time in nature you feel a natural urge to protect it. When I went to the Sumida Aquarium for the first time, there were a lot of jellyfish and I remember it was a very sparkly space. I think that's probably why I fell in love with the ocean even more. I've always liked fish. It's so easy to understand the fish's personality and the way they explain their knowledge. I learned about marine plastic waste through the Fish Rescue Team. I want everyone to do what they can to reduce marine plastic waste. I'm happy that so many people are thinking about the environment. Thanks to the Fish Rescue Team and SD Blue Earth, we know that if we take care of the ocean, the ocean will take care of us. Why did you start the Sakana Kun Exploration Team? I learned about this concept here in Japan called Sato-Umi, which is where coastal communities' interaction actually benefits the ocean's health as well as their own. It's completely reciprocal, symbiotic, and that's how it should be. I love that. And that's why it's so important to provide young people with opportunities to actually connect with the ocean, and it's why I love being a Sea Beyond ambassador. Sea Beyond, a Prada Group project in partnership with UNESCO, is providing children around the world with the knowledge and tools they need to understand the ocean and protect it.