Sara Kulins

Sara is a marine educator and combines her background in science with her passion for marine recreation to connect people with the ocean and inspire care for it. She is a sailor, diver and all-around watersports enthusiast which is what first drew her to working at the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre back in 2016.

After completing her Bachelor of Science in biology in the United States, Sara travelled to New Zealand to broaden her horizons. Falling in love with this country’s oldest marine reserve, Sara made herself at home in NZ and found an opportunity to pursue a masters in Marine Science at the University of Auckland. The focus of her thesis was investigating the ecological effects of the Long Bay Okura Marine Reserve – which offered firsthand insight into the benefits of marine protected areas.

As Education and Outreach Manager at MERC, Sara organizes opportunities for visiting groups and the wider community to learn about their marine environment. She coordinates engagements which are informative and intriguing for a wide variety of ages, at the MERC facility in Long Bay and beyond. Sara leads the coordination of Seaweek in Auckland and oversees National coordination. She is passionate about communicating science and creating opportunities for people to fall in love with the ocean.