Arzucan Askin
Hi, I’m Arzu. I studied the MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at the University of Oxford and led the Oxford Anthroposea Expedition.
My research examined pelagic predators in areas beyond national jurisdiction and the mapping of oil spill risks on coral reefs from potentially polluting shipwrecks. I am also part of the barba.no team setting sail to study Orca populations in the Arctic Circle in collaboration with the University of Iceland.
With a background in human geography and political ecology, my past work has focused extensively on the issues at the nexus of oceans and society: from gender and climate resilience in Cuba; to coral reef health in Hong Kong’s industrial waters; to tracking illegal fishing activities in Malaysia and ghost gear removal in Turkey. As the daughter of immigrants, I am dedicated to developing inclusive and just ocean solutions.
Being a skipper, free-diver and PADI Divemaster I spend more time at sea than on land, and will have even more hours in the water during my year of technical dive training and scientific exploration as the 2021 OWUSS European Rolex Scholar. I am a Fellow of the RGS-IBG and you will most likely find me dancing, hiking with my dog or baking lemon cakes when I am not on expeditions.
Follow Arzucan on Twitter: @arzucan_askin