Marine Education is a way of building resilient Oceans for the future. You would think that anyone living along an Ocean's coast would know more about the Ocean than someone who lived inland; however, that is not always the case. There are cultural stigmas that often exist within coastal communities. For instance, Nikita Shiel-Rolle, a marine biologist in the Bahamas, said that many Bahamians cannot swim even though they live close to the shore.  I sat down with Nikita at the International Marine Conservation Congress in St. John's, Newfoundland earlier this month to discuss how she is breaking stigmas and barriers by empowering local school kids through marine education and exploration of the shores by which they are growing up.  Nikita's story is a great one where she speaks about leaving her country to come to Canada for school as her parents' number one focus was on education. She had to come to Canada to get her education, but now she has come home to teach the next provides the chance for the next generation to become inspired through exploring their beautiful shores and become marine stewards of the future. She has not only provided the above, but she has also shown her students the wonders of learning science and math, which is translating into increased success in schools to which the graduation rate will increase from 50%.  Enjoy getting to know Nikita, who by the way is just an AMAZING person! Check out the Young Marine Explorer's Website: http://www.ymebahamas.org/index.html Learn more about Nikita Shiel-Rolle: http://www.shielrolle.com/blog.html Join the Arbonne Blue Team http://www.speakupforblue.com/teamblue Instagram: @speakupforblue Snapchat: @speakupforblue SUFB Podcast: http://www.speakupforblue.com/podcast SUFB Website: http://www.speakupforblue.com 10 Ocean Tips to Conserve the Ocean: http://www.speakupforblue.com/wordpress/sufb_optinpdf