Growing up, I was fascinated by animal behaviour, marine biology and the stories of fishermen miles and miles out at sea. My passion for these subjects and discovering new things in general turned into me pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biology in Utrecht, and later on a master’s degree in Freshwater & Marine Biology in Amsterdam. The fascination for fish and fisheries (and in particular elasmobranch) remained, which is what I focused the research conducted during my studies on. Throughout my years as a sailing instructor, I discovered another passion: sharing knowledge and raising awareness for challenges our world's oceans have been, are and will be facing!