Creativity, Citizen Science, and Ocean Recovery: In Conversation with Ben Coleman

The Interview

Why is conserving and protecting the oceans so important to you?

Ben: The oceans are awesome – home to millions of Earth’s plants and animals! Spending time in mother nature, whether attempting to surf waves or exploring off-piste terrain on a snowboard, always leaves me refreshed and super hyped.

Having a daughter reinforced the urgency to preserve our oceans, mountains, and forests. The reality is our children will not survive if we don’t all act now. Having taught snowboarding around the world, I’ve seen climate change firsthand – seasons are getting shorter and glaciers are melting. The evidence is everywhere, from warming seas to mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.

How are you using design and art direction to drive ocean conservation?

Ben: As Creative Design Lead at WWF-UK, my team champions good design to engage people in the fight for our planet.

We teamed up with Sky for ‘The Ocean Hero Campaign,’ empowering people to take ocean recovery actions in their daily lives while calling on the government for ambitious policy changes.

More recently, I art-directed the identity for the ‘Walrus from Space’ campaign. As the Arctic Ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide, it becomes more acidic, threatening walrus ecosystems. The campaign invites the public to become citizen scientists by spending 30 minutes scanning satellite images to help track and count walrus populations.

What should the surfing and outdoor industry do better?

Ben: Beyond reducing carbon footprints and adopting sustainable operations, surf companies must use their brand platforms to educate audiences into making better choices.

Crucially, we must unite to lobby governments. Without strict laws, big businesses will continue putting profit over our oceans. We have a critical window to turn the tide on climate change. We need governments to commit to long-term strategies that halt ocean decline and prioritize marine recovery.