Rick MacPherson

Director, Conservation Programs
Coral Reef Alliance

I live blue because…
is there any other way to live?

Why do you care about the environment?
I look at ocean conservation and environmentalism as a symbiotic relationship: I do my part to protect and support the environment because it protects and supports us.  Healthy ocean ecosystems feed us and protect our coasts from storm damage, ensure economic livelihood through tourism, are a source for promising medical research, control and moderate global weather, and provide cultural identity to coastal and island communities world-wide.  Protecting the environment makes sense.  It’s the ultimate quid pro quo!

How has your environment affected your career/education decisions?
I’ve had a life long fascination with the natural world that has evolved into a lifelong commitment to its conservation.  The ocean captivated my imagination and interest even before I’d visited it in person. I didn’t see the ocean for the first time until I was perhaps 15 years old, yet I knew that I wanted to devote my life to learning everything I could about it.  The ocean has been at the center of my life as a student, scientist, educator, and now coral reef conservationist.

What are some things you do in your life to live blue and protect the environment?
In my work with the Coral Reef Alliance, I’m on a mission to save coral reefs, the oldest biological communities on the planet. Reefs are dying, every day. They are being overheated by the rising temperatures of climate change, overfished by commercial fisherman, and overlooked by ambitious developers and tourism operators.  But while people are the problem, they can also be the solution.   My work is to leverage the power of people, communities, to save coral reefs.

Read Rick’s personal blog here.
Visit the Coral Reef Alliance here.

See Rick’s plot of ocean here.