HOW IT STARTED
The ocean has always been part of my life. I grew up in a small village by the sea in Bohuslän, Sweden. I got my first diving mask at three, before I could even swim, and my first diving certificate at ten.
In 2006, my life took a turn during a dive trip in Thailand. I encountered a manta ray for the first time—and fell in love with that gentle giant. That moment should’ve been nothing but joy, but when we got back on the boat, someone opened a beer, drank it, and threw the empty can into the sea. I reacted strongly and asked him how he could do something like that after such an amazing experience.
That moment changed me. Right then and there, I knew I needed to do something. Since 2007, I have dedicated my working life to the ocean, documenting what is happening, asking difficult questions and working to make sure that what we know actually leads to action.
As a film and photojournalist and ocean advocate, I’ve worked alongside some of the world’s leading marine scientists and conservationists, including Dr Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue, as well as Dr Alex Hearn and MigraMar. I’ve joined them in the field, documented their research and seen first-hand what science can tell us about what is happening in the ocean. My role has often been to take that knowledge beyond the scientific community and make it understandable, relevant and harder to ignore.
After years of working this way, I realised I wanted to create something that could bring it all together. Fragile Hope Foundation grew out of that need: the fieldwork, the science, the people I had met and worked with, and one question I kept coming back to: what do we actually do with what we know?
Today, Fragile Hope works in the field alongside scientists and other partners, gathering evidence, contributing to research and taking what we learn to the people who make decisions about the ocean.. We also use film, culture and experiences to make complex issues understandable and show why action is needed.
I also want Fragile Hope to become bigger than any one person. It should be built for the long term, constantly looking for solutions, challenging what does not work and finding better ways to protect a living ocean for generations to come.
Joakim Odelberg
Founder, Fragile Hope Foundation
“After years in the field, one thing is clear to me: the ocean does not need more promises. It needs less pressure, stronger protection and decisions that allow life to recover.
We can measure decline, map habitats, track animals across oceans and understand what puts them under pressure. The science can tell us a great deal. But knowledge alone does not protect anything.
What matters is what we do with it: challenge what is not working, act on the evidence and keep finding better ways to protect a living ocean for generations to come.”
Joakim Odelberg
