Sadie Waddington

Sadie joined the SEA team in August 2009 and has been focusing on recruiting, training and supporting contributors to the Google Ocean platform; as well as integrating outreach and communication efforts for all SEA initiatives. She is an expedition blogger, maintains the SEA office, and acts as primary communications liaison for the entire team.

Sadie's passion for the preservation of the oceans started with a year-long travel excursion to Guam and South East Asia following the completion of her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. She studied South East Asian Art History and Design so was anxious to see the real life version of the amazing art she had only experienced as slides. Inevitably, Sadie soon became sidetracked once she got her scuba gear on and spent most of that year underwater!

Once Sadie returned to the states she sought out opportunities to expand her knowledge of the ocean. She volunteered at the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco, and with the Marine Mammal Center in Marin County, CA. Sadie found she enjoyed the direct hands-on learning, but she enjoyed teaching and sharing her knowledge with others even more.

Sadie enrolled in a Masters program at San Francisco State University, first in the Education department and then switching gears to Geography where she worked with Dr. Ellen Hines on coastal zone and resource management. For most of 2007 she conducted her thesis research in Belize, monitoring the effects of mangrove removal on the fringing reef surrounding Turneffe Atoll. She enjoyed the physical data collection and the hands-on learning experiences, but found she gained the most satisfaction from speaking with community members and educating eco-travelers about her research. During her data collection trips Sadie often gave presentations about the diminishing state of coral reefs in Belize, and what we can do to protect what is left.

After completing her M.A. in May 2008, Sadie spent a year and a half teaching at Laney Community College in Oakland, CA, and at the Marine Science Institute in Redwood City, CA. Bringing her diverse skills to the SEA has been, in her words, a perfect match. She lives in San Francisco.