Dyfan Goode

I was raised in Cardiff before moving to Barry where I pursued my passion for lifeguarding at Rhoose Lifeguards, which placed me in a much wider community of people who were passionate about the same things I was. Alongside competing, I gained numerous qualifications in the sport such as: The National Vocational Pool and Beach Lifeguard Qualifications. This inspired me to follow into a career surrounding the conservation of marine life and our interactions with the ocean in sustainable ways.

My favourite subjects at school were Geography and Photography which regularly placed me in close contact with the sea, my love for it meant that it frequently became the subject of many of my projects at school. However, I always felt there was something missing from my education of the ocean and its inhabitants, so I decided to pursue a degree in Ocean Science and Marine Conservation.

3 years on, I now live in Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, which offers a rich seafaring history and houses landmarks like the National Marine Aquarium. In addition, the council is currently discussing plans to make Plymouth Sound a National Marine Protected Area, which is of particular interest to me and my course.

My fascination for my degree has also led me to other areas around the UK, like the Oceans 2019 Festival in Bristol, where I observed other researchers and artists presenting their perspectives and findings on the current state of the ocean and other affairs. This experience encouraged me to apply myself as a student representative for my course.

In the summer of 2019, I ventured to Australia where I worked on projects such as ‘Living Seawalls’ with Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMIS) in partnership with Volvo, and Operation Crayweed with the University of New South Wales. This project inspired me to compose my dissertation topic on eco-engineering interventions in the marine environment.

I’ve been very impressed with the innovative projects SAS have created aiding conservation efforts to tackle the challenges of climate change and artificial invaders, like marine litter, particularly with regards to beach cleans and how well they’ve adapted to the current regulations ensuring public safety of volunteers. I hope this activism continues into the future with younger generations leading the way.