Antarctic Champion

“I never felt so alive, so humble, and so connected to the entire world around me. I had a visceral compulsion to protect this place.”

The moment she saw her first iceberg, marine scientist Cassandra fell in love with Antarctica’s icy beauty · John Weller

The Ross Sea marine protected area (MPA), created in 2016 after more than a decade of hard work, is the largest MPA in the world to date · John Weller

When she isn’t out in the field, Cassandra lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she’s an assistant professor in environmental studies at the University of Colorado Boulder · Cassandra Brooks

“The woods were foundational for me,” she says. She spent her childhood observing and catching water striders on the stream flowing next to her home.

After college, Cassandra rode fishing vessels and worked in fisheries before heading to California for her Ph.D. · Cassandra Brooks

“I feel so proud of the work we did for the Ross Sea,” she says. “If it’s the one thing I’ve accomplished, I’ve made a positive contribution for the world. Now, there is this place that exists in Antarctica where we still have a thriving, healthy marine ecosystem with penguins, seals and whales, and fish—they survive against all odds in a place that is protected, and belongs to the entire world.”

Cassandra contributed to the work that secured the Ross Sea MPA in 2016, protecting a vast area of ocean that harbors diverse, thriving wildlife · Cassandra Brooks

The Ross Sea is home to three types of orca, including one type that many researchers consider to be a distinct species, commonly known as the Ross Sea killer whale · John Weller

The elegant Antarctic minke whale feeds on krill (tiny crustaceans) during the winter · John Weller

The whales, sea lions, and penguins of Antarctica migrate to points north during winter, as do most of the continent's well-insulated seals. But unique among Antarctic mammals, Weddell seals stick it out year round · John Weller

Because they evolved in such a remote locality, 97 percent of Antarctic notothenioid fishes (along with some of the other Antarctic shelf vertebrates and invertebrates) are found nowhere else on Earth · John Weller

“As a woman scientist, in so much research in remote field situations, the power dynamic becomes toxic. I haven’t yet been on a ship where women were in charge,” she says.

Cassandra will soon be back in the Antarctic for further work, with a team of Principal Investigators that are all women. It will be the first time she’s been on a ship where women are in charge · Cassandra Brooks

In the past, many scientists worried that they wouldn’t be taken seriously if they were vulnerable and enthusiastic. “But we study things because we love them,” Cassandra points out. That passion naturally lends itself to a more vocal role in policymaking.

The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica and absorbs nearly half of the carbon dioxide that is absorbed by all of the world’s oceans. This plays a vital role in regulating the global climate · John Weller

Cassandra believes gorgeous imagery and authentic stories are important mediums for sharing the magic of the ocean · Cassandra Brooks

“I want my children to know they live in a future where the Adélie penguins and the Ross Sea are protected.”

Cassandra’s children are named after Antarctica’s treasures—her daughter Adélie for the Adélie penguins, and her son Orion Ross, for the Ross Sea MPA—reflecting her hope for a healthy future ocean · Cassandra Brooks

Contributors

Lora Shinn

Journalist

Lora Shinn has written about sustainable living and pioneering environmental leaders for the Natural Resources Defense Council and numerous magazines and websites including Rodale’s Organic Life, Urban Farm, E-The Environmental Magazine, KIWI, Earth911.com, and more.

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