A Life-Changing Decision: How Mella Became a Whale Scientist

Mella didn’t never planned on becoming a marine ecologist. In fact, she spent years in an entirely different field before making a bold decision to reshape her life around her passion for the ocean.

     “Growing up, I didn’t have the economic means or exposure to the academic world to pursue this career early on. I started in a completely different field, but the pandemic changed everything for me.”

Stuck in Brooklyn during lockdown, she had a moment of reckoning. Her work felt hollow—she was overworked, but what was it all for? She knew she wanted to make a meaningful impact on the world, so she set herself a new guiding principle:

     “Leave the Earth a little better than I found it.”

From that moment, Mella went all in. She enrolled in a science degree, devoured research papers, cold-emailed scientists she admired, and built her new career from scratch. She landed internships, field research positions, and at-sea expeditions, proving that it’s never too late to do what truly matters. Now preparing for a PhD in marine ecology, she’s already working on the frontlines in Antarctica with Sea Shepherd.

Why Antarctica? Why Now?

Mella has spent years studying how whales interact with their environment, but this will be her most ambitious and high-stakes expedition yet. Aboard the Allankay, she is helping document the conflict between whales and industrial krill fishing vessels—something scientists know is happening, but have struggled to quantify with scientific precision.

     “We know that recovering populations of whales are foraging and sharing resources with krill fisheries. We want to move beyond anecdotal evidence and rigorously document how often these interactions occur.”

Using systematic whale surveys, drone footage, and advanced tracking technology, Mella and the Sea Shepherd crew are recording the proximity of whales to supertrawlers, documenting their behavior, and collecting scientific evidence that could directly inform future conservation decisions.

What Mella Is Doing on the Allankay

Unlike land-based Antarctic research, this mission is happening in real time, at sea, where Mella is working daily to track whale activity and their interactions with krill-fishing vessels. Her work includes:

     - Identifying individual whales – Tracking their behavior and movement patterns
     - Measuring how close they are to krill supertrawlers – Documenting direct competition for food
     - Logging vessel activity – How often they are fishing in known whale feeding zones
     - Using drones for non-invasive whale research – Collecting behavioral data from above

     “Most Antarctic research is done from land stations or cruise ships, but these aren’t suited for extended at-sea research. The Allankay is uniquely equipped for this work, and Sea Shepherd provides an unparalleled opportunity to conduct this research in the field—where it matters most.”

For Mella, this isn’t just another research project. It’s a chance to make a real difference for Antarctic whales—and to contribute scientific evidence that could one day help establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the most threatened regions of the Southern Ocean.

A Personal Mission with Global Consequences

Mella knows that time is running out. Climate change is melting the sea ice that krill depend on, and industrial krill fishing is competing directly with wildlife for their primary food source. Together, these pressures are pushing Antarctica’s ecosystem toward an uncertain future.

     “The underside of sea ice provides a critical nursery for krill and supports the growth of algae (phytoplankton), which krill feed on. As sea ice declines, krill populations also decrease, leading to potential cascading effects throughout the Antarctic food web, impacting whales, penguins, and other predators. Fishery demands add additional pressure by increasing competition for krill in areas where fisheries and wildlife overlap. Together, these threats create a compounding challenge for the Antarctic ecosystem.”

The scientific community has sounded the alarm, but political roadblocks have stalled conservation action. At the last CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) meeting, a proposal for an MPA in the whale-krill conflict zone was blocked. Without a stronger foundation of scientific data, these protections remain out of reach.

That’s why this expedition is so critical. Mella’s work—tracking whales and collecting real-world evidence—could be a crucial step toward finally getting protections in place.

Join Mella and Sea Shepherd in Defending Antarctica

     - Follow the Campaign – Follow the campaign and get exclusive insights on our Ocean Warriors page 
     - Spread Awareness – Share her story and help push for stronger whale protections.
     - Take direct action with our Krill Toolkit 
     - Support the campaign so we can continue this vital work for the ocean

For Mella, this mission is personal. Will you stand with her?