Conservation Leadership
San Diego
Our Vision
We aim to build the next generation of conservation leaders and scuba divers in San Diego by strengthening student capacity in ocean literacy, supporting students in local community engagement projects, and fostering a network and community of workforce knowledge and leadership opportunities. Our initiatives are designed to inspire a lifelong commitment to conservation, ensuring that students are well-prepared to lead and innovate in the field of environmental sustainability.
What Makes a Conservation Leader?
Conservation leaders are self-aware, systems thinkers, adaptive learners, conveners, network builders, collaboration brokers, effective communicators, and innovators. Additionally, they must be adaptable and innovative, finding creative solutions to complex environmental challenges.
We will build Conservation Leaders in San Diego through implementing the Theory of Change Model (Forrest et al., 2023) and through a 3-Phase Program.
Our Educational Model
PROGRAM PHASES
PHASE 1: OCEAN LITERACY
Our Ocean Literacy course delves into the intersection of ocean literacy, climate dynamics, human health, and conservation, emphasizing the pivotal role that conservation leadership plays in promoting ocean health and sustainability.
Through online coursework and Saturday workshops at the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (CMBC) at SIO and other community locations, students will gain insight into the skills needed for effective environmental leadership and stewardship, equipping them to address conservation challenges in their communities.
WHY BE OCEAN LITERATE?
The ocean is vital to human life, regulating climate, supporting economies, and providing food, medicine, and cultural value. With much of the global population living along coasts, we rely on the ocean for stability and resources. However, climate change and human activity are altering marine ecosystems. Understanding and monitoring these changes is crucial to making informed decisions that ensure the ocean remains a source of well-being, sustainability, and prosperity for future generations.
PHASE 2: CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP DIVERS
The Conservation Leadership Divers program will support competitive youth in a 6-day PADI dive certification course, held in San Diego and Catalina Island, through a partnership with Odyssea Adventures. In collaboration with SIO SCUBA DIVERsity, this initiative expands access to scuba diving for students while offering a diverse range of activities, including diving, snorkeling, nature walks, and tide-pooling. These experiences will provide opportunities to explore coastal ecosystems and gain insight into dive career pathways. Participants will also become members of the Youth Conservation Leadership Scuba Club, led by the Aburto Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), as part of the Atlas Aquatica initiative, which is endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade Program.
WHY DIVING?
Diving is a gateway to many marine science, conservation, and engineering careers, yet access to SCUBA certification has been historically limited due to cultural, physical, emotional, and financial barriers. By offering a free diving program for youth, we aim to break these barriers and create pathways into STEM fields. Through partnerships with the Aburto Lab and the Scuba DIVERsity Program, we provide mentorship and support, ensuring that students gain the skills, confidence, and experience necessary to pursue careers in ocean science.
PHASE 2: CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP NATURALISTS
The Conservation Leadership Naturalists training program will support competitive youth in a 6-day naturalist training course where students will gain hands-on experience with various aspects of natural resource management, ecological assessment, and habitat restoration. This program will leverage the UC San Diego Natural Reserves Systems, a collection of natural habitats in Southern California that serve as a living laboratory and outdoor classroom. By exploring these habitats, youth will engage in San Diego’s Climate Action Plan by exploring how coastal wetlands, particularly in Mission Bay, contribute to carbon sequestration and support climate change mitigation. Participants will study ecohydrology and native plants to understand the role of these ecosystems in achieving the city’s goal of restoring 700 acres of wetlands by 2035.
WHY NATURE?
We as a society are increasingly disconnected to nature, especially to the resources that sustain and nourish us. Historical and systemic barriers have limited participation in outdoor recreation for certain communities, as well as representation in naturalist and conservation roles. This program will help cultivate youth leaders as advocates for their communities ensuring that environmental protection aligns with the values, priorities, and needs of the people who live there.
PHASE 3: CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP FELLOWS
All participants from Phase 2 will become Conservation Leadership Fellows, gaining valuable job skills through hands-on work in marine conservation and research by shadowing and volunteering with program mentors. As Fellows, students will take on leadership roles, including guiding project strategies, organizing outreach activities, and presenting their work at events hosted by Scripps Institution of Oceanography and local organizations. They will also play an active role in social media campaigns and educational initiatives aimed at promoting marine protection.
WHY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT?
Working with the community is important because people who inhabit a place develop unique relationships with their environment, shaped by lifelong experiences, observation, and knowledge passed down through families and communities. This local knowledge is key to understanding how ecosystems function and have changed, respecting traditional ways of life, and creating effective and fair conservation strategies. Since communities are often the long-term caretakers of their land and waters, their involvement is essential to making conservation efforts sustainable over time.
Aburto Lab
Octavio Aburto is a professor and research scientist at Scripps Instution of Oceanography (SIO), National Geographic Explorer, and a professional photographer associate with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). Conservation Leadership, San Diego, was born from Octavio’s vision for a more sustainable future and empowering scuba diving industry for marine conservation the the blue economy.
Relevant Publications
Marine Prosperity Areas: a framework for aligning ecological restoration and human well-being using area-based protections
February 6, 2025
AUTHORS: Octavio Aburto-Oropeza, Valentina Platzgummer, Erica M. Ferrer, Catalina López-Sagástegui, Rocío de Guadalupe Abud Mirabent, América Ávalos Galindo, Fabio Favoretto, Alfredo Giron-Nava, Isabel Mendoza Camacho, Claudia Núñez Sañudo, Marisol Plascencia de La Cruz, Alejandro Robles
Atlas Aquatica: Empowering Scuba Diving Ecotourism for Marine Conservation and the Blue Economy
May 2, 2024
AUTHORS: Fabio Favoretto, Octavio Aburto‐Oropeza
A Deeper Dive into the Blue Economy: The Role of the Diving Sector in Conservation and Sustainable Development Goals
September 7, 2023
AUTHORS: Matthew James Forrest, Fabio Favoretto, Zahidah A Nisa, Octavio Aburto-Oropeza
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