Growing up, all I ever wanted was to work underwater as a marine conservationist. But it wasn't until my first job in Mombasa - waiting under baobab trees for fishers to return so I could measure their catch - that I realized the ocean is much more than what lies beneath the surface. Along Kenya's coastline, I saw first-hand how deeply people's lives are intertwined with the sea.
The ocean shapes daily rhythms, livelihoods, culture, and connections between generations. For millions of people across Africa, the ocean is not an abstract environmental issue. It is a way of life. This June, Kenya will host the 11th annual Our Ocean Conference, the first time the gathering will take place on African soil. It is a historic moment and one that should reshape how the world thinks about the ocean. For many global leaders, the ocean is still treated as secondary to issues like energy, security, or economic growth.
