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Conservation Nation

@conservationnation

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Preserving the planet by cultivating an inclusive and resilient wildlife conservation movement.
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Sometimes one decision changes your entire life. After college, Michelle Fournet accepted a job on a whale watching boat in Alaska—even though she had no experience with whales, boats, or marine science. That leap of faith led her to become a National Geographic Explorer and one of the world's leading bioacousticians, studying how whales communicate and how human noise is changing life beneath the waves. She's camped on remote Alaskan islands where whales breathed just outside her tent, worked as a lighthouse keeper, and even felt a whale's call vibrate through her feet. Today, Michelle's research is helping us better understand—and better protect—the underwater soundscapes whales depend on to survive. Swipe to learn more about @mbellalady incredible journey. Learn more about @thewave_global Fellowship with Conservation Nation and our other Fellows by visiting our website (link in bio). #Bioacoustics #Whales #WomenInScience #ConservationNation #OceanScience by @conservationnation
1
16 hours ago
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The ocean isn’t silent. We just have to listen. 🐋🌊🎧 Humpback whales use sound to communicate across the ocean—and scientists are learning how to listen in. Conservation Nation Fellow Dr. Michelle Fournet studies humpback whale communication in Alaska, using the sounds whales make to better understand these incredible animals and the world they inhabit. That science inspired our new Sound Science: Listening to Whales lesson, where students can explore the hidden world of whale communication through interactive games, quizzes, and real conservation research. Because sometimes, listening can reveal what we can’t see. Learn more by visiting our website (link in bio) Follow @conservationnationacademy to learn more about our education program, free lessons, and more! @colossal @mbellalady #ConservationNation #Whales #HumpbackWhales #Bioacoustics #MarineConservation by @conservationnation
4
5 days ago
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Sharks have patrolled Earth's oceans for more than 400 million years. They survived mass extinctions and existed long before dinosaurs. Today, however, more than one-third of all sharks, rays, and chimaeras are threatened with extinction. In the Arabian Gulf, these remarkable animals face growing pressure from fishing, coastal development, warming seas, and habitat loss. Despite their importance, many populations remain poorly understood. Often called the "doctors of the ocean," sharks help maintain healthy marine ecosystems by keeping food webs in balance. Protecting them starts with understanding them. That's why Wave Fellow with Conservation Nation Reem AlMealla is working to advance research and conservation for sharks and rays throughout the Arabian Gulf. 🦈 Swipe to learn more about these extraordinary ocean guardians. Learn more about the Wave Fellowship with Conservation Nation and our other Fellows by visiting our website (link in bio) @thewave_global @rmealla @nuwat.world #conservationnation #womeninconservation #sharkconservation #wildlifeconservation #sharks by @conservationnation
3
6 days ago
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Remote camera #WolfWednesday 🐺 Trail cameras are one of the best, non-invasive ways to keep track of wildlife, learning so many things about them along the way! Yellowstone is so unique - it’s one of the only places in the entire world that you can actually sit and observe wolves in the wild. Most places require the use of trail cameras to get “eyes” on wolves and see them behaving naturally. The @voyageurswolfproject has mastered the craft of finding the best camera location and learning incredddddible things about the wolves in their ecosystem through trail cameras alone (check them out!) Fortunately, people like @critter_chaser have watched enough wolves in Yellowstone, to find the perrrrrfect camera location spot to capture videos just like this! (Thanks Jeremy! 🐺) With hundreds of cameras in Yellowstone’s backcountry, primarily used to capture videos and photos of mountain lions, we are lucky enough to get some epic footage of the wolves utilizing the landscape + patrolling their territories. We also get lots of other critters roaming the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem - Wolverine, mountain lions, black + grizzly bears, mountain goats, big horn sheep, moose, bobcats, thousands of bison + elk - we’ll occasionally get the smaller critters too, like weasels, pine marten! Trail cameras are one of the best tools! I encourage you all to play around with them one day to see what you can capture in your neck of the woods 🌲🐺🐻🦬🏔️ Thanks @browningtrailcams for creating the best camera! #wolves #wolf #yellowstonenationalpark #trailcamera taken in Yellowstone National Park by @conservationnation
39
6 days ago
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Representation matters—and Reem AlMealla is helping change what's possible. 🌊 Growing up in Bahrain, Reem developed a deep connection to the sea surrounding her island home. She taught herself to swim at 18, saw her first coral reef at 19, and later became Bahrain's first woman field marine biologist. After volunteering on a research expedition to South Africa, where she learned to dive alongside sharks and rays, she realized something important: women from her region deserved to see themselves represented in marine conservation. Today, Reem works to protect coral reefs, sharks, rays, and blue carbon ecosystems while connecting science, policy, and local communities across the Arabian Gulf. Her journey reminds us that conservation leadership begins with believing you belong. Swipe to meet @rmealla Learn more about the Wave Fellowship with Conservation Nation and our other Fellows by visiting our website (link in bio) @thewave_global @nuwat.world #WomenInScience #MarineConservation #ConservationNation #OceanLeadership #conservationnation by @conservationnation
8
8 days ago
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Science doesn’t end with discovery. It begins with what we do with it 🌊 Through my @conservationnation x @thewave_global Fellowship, my team @nuwat.world and I will be able conduct two seasons of #eDNA sampling to uncover more clues to understanding the distribution, seasonality and composition of #shark and #ray species in #Bahrain’s waters. But discovery is only the beginning. That knowledge needs to reach the next generation of conservationists, inform policymakers working to protect species and the places they depend on, plus help people understand the natural world around them. Because knowledge can inspire action and nature needs all of us 🌱 by @conservationnation
24
10 days ago
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Have you ever heard a wolf howl in the wild?! Do you WANT to hear wolves howl in the wild?! It’s one the of most incredible sounds in nature. Decoding wolf language is some of the hottest science out there right now! 🐺 We’re thrilled to support PhD students Jeremy SunderRaj and Amir Dehbi as they use AI, recording devices, and a whole lot of data to answer big questions about wolf vocalizations in Yellowstone National Park. Learn anything new from this video? Leave a comment! Want to learn more? Make sure to check out the Cry Wolf Project website (@thecrywolfproject) Want to learn more? Check out our f r e e Conservation Nation Academy lesson, Sound Science: Listening to Wolves — and give Jeremy a follow (@critter_chaser ) to stay up to date on all things wolves! We’re just as excited about our newest f r e e lesson, Sound Science: Listening to Whales. Bioacoustics is uncovering incredible new insights about wildlife around the world, and we can’t wait to explore it with you. Click the link in our bio to dive in. Educators: both lessons are NGSS-aligned and designed to get students thinking like scientists and connecting classroom learning to real-world science. Happy watching, and happy #WolfWednesday! 🐺 #wolves #wolf #yellowstone #nature taken in Yellowstone National Park by @conservationnation
65
13 days ago
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Some of the world's most threatened ocean animals aren't whales or dolphins—they're rhinorays. These remarkable animals, including wedgefish, guitarfish, and bowmouth guitarfish, have survived for millions of years. Today, many are disappearing because of overfishing, habitat loss, and the demand for their highly valuable fins. One of the biggest challenges? Many rhinoray species look almost identical, making them difficult to identify in fisheries and trade. That's where science makes all the difference. By using DNA-based identification methods, Fellow Maula Nadia is helping improve species identification, so conservation decisions can be based on accurate data. Knowing what's being caught is the first step toward protecting what's left. Swipe to discover why rhinorays need our attention. Learn more about the Wave Fellowship with Conservation Nation and our other Fellows by visiting our website (link in bio) @elasmobranchid @wildlifecoexistencequest @maulanadiar @thewave_global #SaveSharks #Rays #MarineConservation #Biodiversity #ConservationNation by @conservationnation
1
13 days ago
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Sometimes, listening can reveal what we can’t see. That’s the power of bioacoustics. Dive into Sound Science: Listening to Whales, a new free NGSS-aligned lesson from Conservation Nation featuring interactive games and quizzes on @kahoot Students explore bioacoustics and discover how scientists use sound to understand animals of the deep, inspired by the research of scientist, Dr. Michelle Fournet, who studies humpback whales in Alaska. More than a lesson about whales, this lesson teaches students about the power of listening—and how listening can provide tools to solve problems, make discoveries, and better understand the world around us. Conservation Nation offers free, NGSS-aligned lessons designed for middle school students, with the flexibility to adapt them for different grade levels. Our lessons use science and storytelling to help students discover conservation, understand wildlife, and become the next generation of wildlife champions. The ocean isn’t silent; we just haven’t been listening. 🐋 🎧 Listen. Learn. Protect. Full lesson + Kahoot! (link in bio) #ConservationNation #kahoot #STEMEducation #EducatorSupport #lessonplans by @conservationnation
1
14 days ago
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Meet Fellow, Maula Nadia. Every conservationist has a moment that changes everything. For Maula Nadia, it began with a university diving club, where she discovered coral reef monitoring and experienced marine conservation firsthand. Not long after, she encountered her first bluespotted ribbontail ray—a moment that helped shape the path she's on today. Now, Nadia is a PhD researcher and co-founder of Elasmobranch Project Indonesia where she uses cutting-edge DNA techniques to help identify sharks and rays in fisheries and global trade. She is also working alongside the local community in Karimunjawa - Indonesia through citizen science to strengthen conservation of the critically endangered rhinorays. Science, technology, and community all have a role to play in protecting our oceans—and Nadia is proving just how powerful that combination can be. Learn more about Nadia's work by swiping through the slides. Learn more about the Wave Fellowship with Conservation Nation and our other fellows by visiting our website (link in bio) @waveglobal @elasmobranchid @maulanadiar #ConservationNation #OceanConservation #WomenInSTEM #Sharks #MarineScience #ConservationLeadership by @conservationnation
13
14 days ago
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Did you know? Lion edition. Catmosphere with Conservation Nation Fellow Nicorll Maenzanise works to help protect lions in Zimbabwe. Here are some facts about her favorite big cat: 🦁 Lions are the only cats that roar in unison — a territorial warning to rivals. Cubs start trying to join in as early as 2-3 months old. 🦁 Lion cubs are born with spots — camouflage in the long grass that fades as they mature. 🦁 Lionesses in a pride often have cubs around the same time, raising them together. 🦁 A male's mane isn't just for looks — it makes him appear larger and more threatening to rivals. Learn more about our fellows and how we are supporting their work by visiting our website (link in bio.) Follow for more updates and funding opportunities! #catmospherenow #catmosphere #conservationnation #wildlifeconservation #lions #bigcats by @conservationnation
1
17 days ago
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Protecting the ocean starts in your closet, your kitchen, your skincare cabinet — not just the shoreline. 🌊 The health of our oceans and the health of ourselves are more connected than most of us realize. Swipe to see how — even if you don't live anywhere near the coast. 🧺 Your closet: Natural fibers don't shed the plastic microfibers that synthetic fabrics do with every wash: better for the ocean and reducing the potential for skin absorption too. 🐟 Your plate: Small fish carry more omega-3 per bite, with a fraction of the mercury. Decades of overfishing have severely depleted large fish populations; and conventional farmed salmon comes with a steep cost: densely packed pens pollute coastal waters, spread disease to wild fish, and rely on wild-caught feeder fish. 💊 Your supplement shelf: Algae oil is the original source of marine omega-3s — fish and krill just pass it along. Grown in closed tanks, it's never exposed to mercury or other ocean-borne contaminants. Skipping straight to algae also protects the food web whales and penguins depend on. 🧴 Your skincare: Sharks are killed for squalene, largely for cosmetics. As apex predators, sharks keep the ocean in balance — regulating populations which keeps the food webs and reefs healthy. Plant-derived squalane is chemically identical. 🌱 Your yard: Excess lawn fertilizer washes into waterways and fuels algae blooms — and in high enough concentrations has been linked to health risks in drinking water. 🏖️ The beach: FDA testing has found chemical sunscreen absorb into the bloodstream at levels above their own safety threshold. Mineral sunscreen is better for reef systems, and it skips the absorption question entirely. One more that matters everywhere: cut back on single-use plastic. Reusable bottles, bags, cups and straws — a 2024 Columbia University study found bottled water can carry roughly 240,000 plastic particles per liter. What we're keeping out of the ocean, we're also keeping out of ourselves. The health of our earth, our oceans, and our own bodies were never really separate. 💙 Learn about how we are helping to save oceans, wildlife, and ecosystems by visiting our website (link in bio) by @conservationnation
0
18 days ago
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