Siena Inaba: From buying submersibles to shipping jellyfish anti-venom with Pristine Seas

Siena Inaba is the Program Operations Specialist for National Geographic Society’s Pristine Seas, whose work ranges from outfitting a deep-sea submersible to coordinating logistics like getting boxed jellyfish anti-venom to an expedition ship. Sienna shares how early inspiration from iconic wildlife storytellers led her to conservation, how she pivoted from a pre-vet track to earth system sciences, and how graduating in 2021 during the pandemic pushed her into healthcare before she found her way back through the National Geographic–Nature Conservancy externship. She discusses her capstone on California’s oil spill response and estuary protection, the transferable soft skills and stress tolerance she gained in healthcare, and Pristine Seas’ mission to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 through science, policy, media, and education. Sienna also reflects on identity as a mixed Japanese and White American, the importance of diversity in science, critiques the term “ecosystem services,” and emphasizes that anyone can contribute to conservation.Connect with Siena: Instagram: https://www.instagram.coSiena Inaba: Shipping jellyfish antivenom to buying submersibles with Pristine Seasm/sienainaba/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienainaba/Host: Stephanie FroebelEditor: Stephanie FroebelSocial Media: Brooke HartPhoto Credit: National Geographic Pristine Seas / Caitlin BaileyFollow the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/resiliencetracks/https://open.spotify.com/show/7DXTDQNQmvVVt1nJ49mZkk?si=1595566d48e64917