The power of one

Nayantara Jain, 32
Nayantara Jain was working as a scuba diving Instructor when she experienced her first El Nino event where ocean temperatures increased by 2-3°C for a couple of months and healthy, vibrant coral reefs underwent bleaching and died. The dead coral, covered with algae, eventually weakened the reef and it crumbled. Jain realised she wanted to spend the rest of her life saving the seas. Today, the executive director of ReefWatch Marine Conservation, who lives in the Andaman islands, is dedicated to protecting ocean life through education, research and management. Her favourite quote: ‘The greatest threat to our planet is the thought that someone else will save it,’ by Robert Swan.