Building Ocean Career Pathways Through the Ocean Futures Fellowship

Protecting the ocean requires more than discovery alone. It requires people who can translate science into understanding, connect knowledge to action, and build lasting stewardship across disciplines, cultures, and communities. The Ocean Futures Fellowship was created to do exactly that. 

The Ocean Futures Fellowship is an OceanX Education program designed to build human capital for the ocean by creating tangible, inclusive pathways into ocean-positive careers. Positioned for young, early-career professionals who have moved beyond internships but are still shaping their professional direction, the Fellowship supports a critical moment in the ocean workforce pipeline. It offers structure, mentorship, and real responsibility at a stage where access and opportunity often determine whether emerging talent stays in the field. 

Fellows join OceanX as full-time, remote employees for six months, embedded directly within OceanX teams. Through hands-on project work, professional development workshops, and mentorship sessions, they contribute meaningfully to OceanX’s mission while building skills in leadership, collaboration, and ocean storytelling. Monthly cohort convenings connect Fellows with OceanX Education and OceanX Science, reinforcing the connection between discovery, communication, and impact.  Each Fellowship culminates in a capstone project developed in collaboration with OceanX teams. These projects are not academic exercises. They are real contributions that support OceanX programs, platforms, and audiences, while giving Fellows a portfolio of work that reflects professional standards and real-world applications. 

The Fellowship itself is the result of collaboration. Implemented in partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE), with support from Dalio Philanthropies, the program demonstrates what is possible when institutions invest not only in ideas, but in people. IIE brings more than a century of experience creating and administering international scholarship and fellowship programs, with a long-standing focus on the international exchange of people and ideas. Through its work supporting students, scholars, artists, and professionals across borders, IIE provides the programmatic scaffolding and global expertise required to operate prestigious, compliant, and multinational fellowships. Together, these partners support creative practice, interdisciplinary thinking, and global participation in service of ocean health and long-term stewardship. 

This first group of fellows joins the pilot phase of the Ocean Futures Fellowship. From January to June 2026, three Fellows are embedded across OceanX media and immersive teams, contributing to ocean education through storytelling, technology, and design. Their work reflects the diversity of pathways into ocean careers and the shared commitment that unites them. 

Fellow Spotlights

Aamirah Isaacs, Digital Correspondent 
Based in Cape Town, South Africa, Aamirah Isaacs brings a science communicator’s clarity to ocean storytelling. With a background in biodiversity and ecology and experience across conservation, climate, and policy communications, she specializes in translating complex environmental science into accessible narratives. 

As a Digital Correspondent with OceanX, Aamirah focuses on communicating ocean science and exploration through journalism, digital platforms, and visual storytelling. Her work centers on bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding, with a particular emphasis on ocean literacy. Through the Fellowship, she continues to strengthen her voice as a storyteller while contributing to OceanX’s global education efforts. 

Lewis Kamau Kimaru, Immersive Media Generalist 
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Lewis Kamau Kimaru describes himself as a designer who builds. As the founder of Seamo, an AI-powered platform for marine discovery, his work explores how technology can help people see the ocean more clearly. His approach combines engineering precision with a deep belief that technology only matters when it solves real problems. 

At OceanX, Lewis works as an Immersive Media Generalist, applying skills in UX, interactive systems, and emerging technologies to ocean education. Through the Fellowship, he explores how complex scientific data can become intuitive, engaging experiences that reach audiences anywhere, on any device. His work reflects a future-facing approach to ocean literacy, grounded in accessibility and curiosity. 

Muralidhara Ram Murugan, Immersive Media Generalist 
Based in Mersing, Malaysia, Muralidhara Ram Murugan is a marine biology student whose work sits at the intersection of science, technology, and conservation. His research focuses on AI-powered coral monitoring, including species identification, bleaching prediction, and 3D reef modeling through photogrammetry. 

As an Immersive Media Generalist at OceanX, Ram brings a scientific lens to digital tools, using technology to better understand and visualize reef ecosystems. His Fellowship builds on his experience as a Young Explorer and reflects his commitment to data-driven innovation in support of healthier, more resilient ocean ecosystems in Southeast Asia. 

Looking Ahead 

The Ocean Futures Fellowship represents a long-term investment in people. Future cohorts will expand both in size and scope, embedding Fellows across OceanX teams including partnerships, operations, marketing, and development. As the program grows, so does the ecosystem of professionals dedicated to ocean health. 

By creating clear career pathways, elevating lived experience, and supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, the Ocean Futures Fellowship reinforces OceanX’s belief that discovery and education are inseparable. When people are given the tools, trust, and opportunity to contribute, they become not only participants in ocean science, but advocates for its future.