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You can\\u2019t breed a whale shark. Or a humpback whale.
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\\nWhen they are gone, they are gone.
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\\nAnd, what about borders when it comes to the ocean? Who is responsible for caring for these charismatic creatures when they go into other territories?
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\\nI had never thought of ocean conservation in those terms before.
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\\nToday I speak with Andrea Marshall, known as the Queen of Mantas, as coined by the BBC for their documentary on her in 2009.
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\\nShe\\u2019s a pioneer for Manta Ray research.
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\\nBefore she started researching Mantas, there was simply no data on them.
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\\n\\u201cHow can we have people going to space, yet we don\\u2019t know anything about the biggest animals in our ocean. That\\u2019s crazy!\\u201d
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\\nShe and her friend Simon Pierce decided they needed to study threatened charismatic marine megafauna. And to protect the marine habitats in Africa at the same time.
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\\nAnd so they did.  
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\\nShe moved to Mozambique. And they created the Marine Megafauna Foundation.
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\\nToday she tells us her story.
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\\nHow she went from living in Australia, to selling everything, and building a hut in Mozambique, to start her life\\u2019s work.
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\\nWe hear about the (many) challenges they face in Mozambique.
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\\nThe impact of COVID on her personally, but also on the organisation. The challenges, but also the incredible silver linings.
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\\nAndrea talks us through what keeps her up at night (as an ocean conservationist, it\\u2019s not easy), but what also gives her hope.
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\\nAndrea is a true inspiration, her passion and dedication to marine conservation is thoroughly contagious, and this chat will inspire you.
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\\nSo grab that favourite beverage or throw on those running shoes, and here is Andrea.
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\\nWe will shortly be kicking off our next TIE Accelerator programme. It will take place in January. If you are keen to know more, do get in touch at philippa@theinternationalexchange.co.uk or check out apply.tieaccelerator.com.
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\\nAnd please don't forget to let us know what you think of this episode, leave a review and subscribe.