ABOUT US
We are working for a future where people in marine conservation are thriving and delivering positive impacts for themselves, their communities and the environment.
Our mission is to enable marine conservation professionals in Asia to thrive and succeed in Conservation.
We believe conservation can be a fulfilling, sustainable career - but only if we give professionals the tools to manage themselves better so they can manage people and projects more effectively. Through culturally-grounded workshops, ongoing community support, and resources designed specifically for conservation contexts, we're building a network where Asian conservation professionals don't have to carry the weight of this work alone.
The Full Story
Blue Capacity Collective was born from a simple realisation: conservation professionals across Asia are brilliant at the science, but rarely get the support they need to thrive in their careers.
Andrew leads the Fish and Fisheries Lab at James Cook University and watched talented PhD students burn out before their careers began. Samantha was Programmes Manager for a renowned NGO until severe burnout forced her to step away from work she loved.
We're both mixed race, working across Asian marine ecosystems, and we spent years watching brilliant professionals - ourselves included - stumble into leadership roles without the tools we desperately needed.
The breaking point came when Sam's burnout led to a complete career pause. Not because she wasn't capable or passionate, but because she'd never learned how to manage scope creep, set boundaries, or navigate the impossible workloads that conservation professionals face.
We realized technical skills matter, but it's the human skills - strategic thinking, effective communication, self-management - that determine whether conservation professionals thrive or burn out.
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What we discovered
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In 2023, we piloted our first workshop. When we included one day on leadership and self-management, participants didn't just engage - they came alive. They shared struggles they'd never voiced, connected with concepts they'd never encountered, and left asking for more.
That confirmed what we'd been hypothesizing: technical expertise is essential, but the professional skills that help you lead, communicate, and sustain yourself in this work are what determine long-term success.
Conservation professionals are expected to be researchers, project managers, fundraisers, communicators, and leaders - often simultaneously - yet we're rarely given training in the core skills that make these roles manageable.
This is especially true in Asia, where we work on conservation salaries that put most professional development out of reach, while navigating cultural contexts that add layers of complexity others don't see.
The gap we're filling
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This workforce challenge isn't unique to our experience. Published research documents the strain on conservation professionals across the world - and the urgent need for better professional skills training to enhance our effectiveness and retain the talented people the sector needs. Our capacity development work directly contributes to the Global Biodiversity Framework's targets for strengthening capacity-building and ensuring knowledge is accessible to guide biodiversity action.
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What We Are Building​
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Starting with our 2025 workshop series, Blue Capacity Collective is evolving from single training events into a comprehensive support system for Asian marine conservation professionals.
Through culturally-grounded workshops, ongoing community support, and resources designed specifically for conservation contexts, we're building a network where professionals don't have to carry the weight of this work alone.
We believe conservation can be a fulfilling, sustainable career - but only if we give professionals the tools to manage themselves better so they can manage people and projects more effectively.
We're creating a future where people in marine conservation are thriving and delivering positive impacts for themselves, their communities, and the environment.