In this inspiring talk, Elsie Gabriel—a passionate ocean advocate, diver, and UNESCO Green Citizen—shares her journey from coastal initiatives to deep-sea conservation. As the founder of Ocean School India, she champions ocean literacy, youth-led conservation, and inclusive diving practices across South Asia. Elsie redefines ocean cleanups as a vital part of broader environmental stewardship, empowering both citizen divers and policymakers to drive transformative change for our blue planet. Elsie Gabriel is an internationally acclaimed environmentalist, ocean literacy advocate, and climate strategist. As UNESCO Green Citizen for Ocean Literacy and National Coordinator for Oceans at The Climate Reality Project (India & South Asia), she has spent over two decades championing marine conservation, sustainable tourism, and climate action.
Founder of the Young Environmentalists Programme Trust and Ocean School India, Elsie has led numerous youth-driven initiatives in Mumbai and the Lakshadweep Islands. A PADI Advanced and HSA-certified diver, she promotes inclusive diving across South Asia and is India’s Ocean Quest Global Ambassador.
Elsie has spoken at the UN Ocean Conference (2022) and several COP climate summits. She contributed to the Venice Declaration on Ocean Literacy and consults on climate policy for the Lakshadweep Action Plan. She is affiliated with IUCN, Women Divers Hall of Fame, and #Women4Climate. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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