Shalise Leesfield’s mantra of “think global, act local” landed her Sea Hero honors in April 2022. With this mindset she secured local government grants to tackle marine pollution in her Port Macquarie, Australia, community and championed a Hope Spot at Fish Rock, one of her favorite dive sites—all at the age of 15. And it’s the same mentality guiding how she plans to utilize the $5,000 award from Seiko for being named Sea Hero of the Year.
“We thank Shalise for her outstanding contributions to ocean conservation and for her passion and advocacy to expand awareness on this important issue,” says Takeshi Sakamoto, president and CEO of Seiko Watch of America. “Shalise’s enduring efforts to make positive impacts in her community give us hope that our world’s most precious habitats will be protected and preserved for future generations.”
Leesfield plans to use the Seiko award money in partnership with Living Seawalls and her local town council to install habitat enhancement panels to help the marine environment adapt to coastal development in her New South Wales community. Living Seawalls has created a panel that can be added to human-built marine structures to provide important biodiversity benefits to existing foreshore development. The panels mimic a natural shoreline ecosystem and offer habitats, food and nurseries for fish, invertebrates and algae to colonize.
“My hope is to inspire other coastal towns all over the world to install these living habitats to help address the rapidly declining rate of ocean biodiversity globally,” Leesfield says.
Now 16, and showing no signs of slowing her conservation efforts, Leessield has been busy since first being honored as our April Sea Hero, expanding her education by participating in a mentorship program with the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Cherry Muddle, a senior Great Barrier Reef campaigner and one of Leesfield’s AMCS mentors, shares, “Shalise’s achievements are incredible; she is humble, strategic, courageous and a brilliant communicator. We need more young people fighting for the protection of the oceans. They sustain us!”
Between her mentorship, planning for the Living Seawalls initiative and finishing high school, Leesfield is most excited to continue her dive career with additional certifications and plans to work at a dive shop close to Fish Rock while pursuing her university degree.
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