At Mermaids Beyond Borders (MBB), we believe the ocean connects us all, and that everyone, regardless of background, location, ability, or circumstance, deserves the opportunity to protect and connect with our blue planet.

Founded by Marine Conservationist and Ocean Advocate Tsian Deslandes, Mermaids Beyond Borders was born from a simple but powerful question:

“If the ocean has no borders — why should ocean science?”

MBB is a global inclusion initiative working to break down the invisible barriers that prevent so many people, especially young people from underrepresented, island, and marginalised communities, from entering marine conservation spaces.

Without inclusion, conservation falls short. Without education, opportunity is limited. Without collaboration, impact is temporary.

We exist not only to educate, but to create belonging.

Marine conservation challenges from climate change to biodiversity loss are not just scientific issues.
They are social, economic, and human ones.

Yet too often, the people most affected by ocean change are the least represented in the spaces shaping solutions.

At Mermaids Beyond Borders, we take a whole-journey approach to inclusion from first curiosity about the ocean to long-term participation in marine spaces.

Our work focuses on:

• Removing financial, geographic, social, and physical barriers

• Creating accessible, flexible, and inclusive learning environments

• Valuing lived experience as knowledge

• Supporting non-linear pathways into ocean careers

• Connecting communities across borders and cultures

• Empowering youth as leaders, not just participants

We recognise that there is no single way to belong in ocean science and no single path into protecting the sea.