When New Jersey native Emily Nocito was looking for a college where she could study high seas conservation, she chose CU Boulder. Colorado might be a long way from an ocean, but CU environmental studies Assistant Professor Cassandra Brooks conducts research that dovetails with Nocito鈥檚 research interests.
Nocito is a PhD candidate in the environmental studies program. In addition to conservation of the open seas of the world, which are beyond any nation鈥檚 territory, she studies听public policy and governance听searching for solutions to pressing global environmental problems.
Photo courtesy of Emily Nocito
鈥淚 came to CU specifically to work with Cassandra,鈥� Nocito said.听
Brooks has been doing research听in marine science, environmental policy and science communication for 15 years. Her work is largely focused on the Antarctic, and she has an interest in international waters, which aligns with Nocito鈥檚 interest.听Brooks served on Nocito鈥檚 master鈥檚 thesis committee when Nocito was a graduate student at the University of Maine.听
鈥淓mily and I are听both trying to answer the question of how do you do conservation on an international scale for our oceans,鈥� Brooks said.听鈥淚f you鈥檙e studying international oceans, CU Boulder is an excellent place to be. We have a whole ocean community here. There are a lot of scientists doing climate research here as well, so we find a lot of overlap between international climate agreements and ocean agreements.鈥�
Nocito founded 10 by 2020, a youth-led non-governmental organization that focuses on education and literacy about oceans.
Her endless enthusiasm for high seas conservation has led her to the United Nations, where she听has been attending conferences and serving on committees for five years and听working with the U.N.鈥檚 Major Group for Children and Youth.
She received the first听听Millennium Oceans Prize in 2015 and was invited to speak at the United Nations.听
鈥淚t was my first time at the U.N. and I was there giving a speech about youth engagement with the oceans,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat catapulted me into the U.N. space, which I love. We鈥檙e all connected to the ocean, from Colorado to Uganda, all over the world. We all have a connection to the ocean even if it鈥檚 not apparent in your everyday life.鈥�
In 2017, through Ocean Sanctuary Alliance, she spoke at the U.N. on youth engagement with oceans.
She also serves on a committee for a treaty negotiation considering the听legal, environmental and ethical ramifications of conserving the oceans. The treaty project鈥擝iodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction鈥攄eals with the rights to marine genetic resources, and Nocito is helping to refine its text.听
鈥淭he U.N. is the space where decisions are made,鈥� Nocito said. 鈥淧eople are coming to talk about difficult topics in a respectful and transparent way.听I鈥檓 surrounded by the best and brightest people in the world in a very narrow field. We鈥檙e deciding collectively on such issues as if someone catches a fish in the high seas and that fish cures cancer, does that person own it,or does their country own it?鈥�
Emily Nocito speaks on youth engagement with oceans at the U.N.听in 2017 | Photo courtesy of Emily Nocito
What was it like to stand on the U.N. stage for the first time and speak to representatives of more than 200 countries about ocean protection and conservation?听Nocito admits the prospect was terrifying. But when she stepped to the lecturn and looked out at the people from all over the world waiting to hear her speak, a calmness settled over her.
鈥淚 had to slow down my speech because I鈥檓 from New Jersey and we tend to talk fast,鈥� Nocito joked. 鈥淭here was a realization I was there to talk about something that was bigger than just one person or one community or country. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how sustainable change is made, by looking at the large scale and saying 鈥業 can do this.鈥欌��
There are numerous opportunities for international work with leading atmospheric and oceanic institutions associated with CU Boulder, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Department for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies. Nocito and Brooks are connected to a large community of Antarctic researchers, as well as the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.听听听
鈥淭he oceans hold so much mystery, Nocito said. 鈥淲e know more about the moon than our oceans. From a scientific perspective, we鈥檙e learning we鈥檝e fundamentally changed the temperature of the ocean. Species are unable to cope with changing sea levels and are migrating. There鈥檚 a huge garbage patch in the ocean. But these issues are not a reason to stop trying to understand and improve things so that the mistakes we鈥檝e made in the past aren鈥檛 repeated.鈥�
It鈥檚 not all work and no play for Nocito, however. She has a rule about being near an ocean.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 within three听hours of an ocean鈥攐r really any body of water鈥擨 go touch it,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y favorite ocean area would have to be at Ocean City in New Jersey, where my family spends time every summer鈥�
But anywhere, really, is connected to an ocean.
