Katerina confesses she "does a little bit of everything." Yet it's her shark seminars, delivered to over 3000 people young and old, that have made her legendary. Katerina shares with us how she ignites a spark in the eyes of her students.

Tell us about your passion for ocean conservation.

I’m a scuba diver, ocean enthusiast, and environmental activist and then some! I’m an instructor for free diving, scuba diving, and shark aware courses. I also recently completed my shark biologist certification. I was a spear fishing champion for many years, but I realized the ocean needs more supporters than enemies. For that reason, I decided to end my spear fishing career, became a vegetarian, and started spending all of my free time, and money earned from my business in Mykonos island, giving ocean conservation and shark seminars to schools, organizations, and companies. 

My love for the ocean has grown into a passion to inform people about the misunderstood and beautiful creatures of the underwater world, the sharks! 

Why and when did you get involved with Project AWARE?

I became a PADI scuba diver in 1998 and I have been a supporter of Project AWARE since its international expansion, which happened around the same time. I’m grateful to have joined right at the start because I’ve been able to witness first-hand the impact that Project AWARE has made. 

What are some issues that are affecting your local dive site or favorite underwater areas?

Growing up in Greece, I’ve always had a love for the ocean and consider the big blue to be my home. Unfortunately, these days my home is becoming heavily littered. This affects more than just me and my ability to dive there, but most importantly it affects the marine life that lives there! 

What Project AWARE programs have you participated in? Tell us about your work!

Right now, I’m doing a little bit of everything! Apart from gathering beach and sea trash on my own, I organize regular beach and underwater clean ups in cooperation with schools and volunteers all over the world. 

I usually take a group out to collect debris after every Dive Against Debris or AWARE Shark Conservation course I teach. 

As of right now, we’ve removed more than 20 tons (45,000 pounds) of trash from the ocean and I've done seminars to more than 3,000 students. In recent years, I have had the opportunity to expand my range of cleanups from Greece to other parts of the world, including the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico, to name a few.

What has been the highlight of your Project AWARE experience? 

My most rewarding Project AWARE moments are when I know that I’ve successfully passed on my love for the underwater world to someone that has participated in a seminar or cleanup. 

There are two particular examples of this that I will always remember:

The first was when one of my five-year-old student’s mother came up to me on the street to tell me that her son is full of excitement after attending one of my shark AWARE seminars and that he sleeps with his diploma from the course. 

The second is the reaction from a group of local fisherman in Santorini who attended one of my seminars. At the beginning, they were very proud that they kill sharks. By the end, the President of the organization approached me and apologized for their actions, promising that they will release any shark catches moving forward. 

I feel accomplished when I see the spark ignite in my students eyes, and I know that from that minute forward they will spend the better part of their life working to honor their commitment to ocean conservation. 

What is the most important thing you tell others about Project AWARE?

Project AWARE is not just for divers! 

It’s so much more than that. I hear from so many people that they don’t think they can participate because they don’t know how to dive or swim. Being a diver is just one tiny part of it all. 

There is a role for everyone to play!

What are your top three pieces of eco advice?

I’ll narrow it down to my number one piece of advice because I think this covers it all; It’s simply to take action. I see so many people stand by as others litter or destroy our environment. 

I remind each and every one of my students and volunteers; lots of small acts combine to make one big difference. 

You don’t have to make a big commitment and dedicate all of your time to the cause, but you can take a few minutes out of every day to help.