The Case for Popularizing Ocean Science
Carlie Wiener is used to early mornings. It started with dolphins. Wiener would rise before daybreak to observe Hawaiian spinner dolphins as part of her dissertation on human-dolphin interaction—research that played a role in providing stronger protection for spinner dolphins. Today, Wiener, who is based in Oahu, Hawaii, is Schmidt Ocean Institute’s director of communications and engagement strategy, but still gets up well before sunrise to speak with marine science collaborators all over the world, sharing news of the strange and awe-inspiring discoveries made by Schmidt’s cutting-edge research vessel.
It’s this marriage of marine science and communications that Wiener finds so enthralling, whether it’s giving testimony to Congress on behalf of deep-sea exploration or leading storytelling workshops for science students. “In short, making something tangible that tends to be intangible for a lot of people,” Wiener says. “To me, that’s very powerful.”
Nautilus spoke with Wiener about her passion for science communication, her love of cephalopods, and why bringing ocean science to pop culture might help preserve marine life.
