Brigitta Gunawan is a National Geographic Young Explorer and winner of the Ocean Awards Young Initiative by Blue Marine Foundation in partnership with BOAT International. As an ocean advocate, she leads innovative environmental education initiatives to foster meaningful ocean protection in Indonesia and beyond. She was granted seed funding by the National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Paragon One in 2022 to establish the 30×30 Coral Garden, restoring local reefs in Tulamben, Bali whilst providing a recreational site that emphasizes the importance of ocean protection. In 2021, she launched 30×30 Indonesia – a movement igniting community engagement to advance marine protected areas in her country and support the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30×30). Brigitta has shared her work and story on world stages including the United Nations Ocean Conference, the Asia Parks Congress, and the UNLEASH Global Innovation Lab. She is also a recipient of the fully-funded K.C. Kuok Scholarship at Monash University where she is currently pursuing a bachelor of science in ecology and conservation biology. She collaborates with stakeholders to organize hands-on experiences through science-based programs such as the three-part 30×30 Youth Ocean Conference, coral reef and mangrove restoration efforts, and school-wide ocean education campaigns.
