Antarctica 2027

Circular Economy and Regenerative Strategy

Isobel is driven by a commitment to restoring harmony between natural and human systems. She joins eXXpedition to deepen her contribution to ocean health and to learn alongside a community of women who share her determination to create meaningful change.

In her professional life, Isobel supports the built environment sector in its transition toward a circular and regenerative economy. She’s witnessed both the immense waste generated across the industry and the inspiring innovations that are redefining how materials can be recaptured, reused, and re-imagined. She works for Arup and she has collaborated closely with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, helping accellerate the transition to a circular economy. Isobel’s interest in regenerative ecosystems and systems change has led her to contribute to the Cybernetics Society as a council member as well.

Collaboration sits at the heart of her work. Isobel believes deeply in the power of bringing diverse voices and groups of women together to unlock new ways of thinking and acting. She is currently working with her Godmother to support women stepping into leadership from a place of strength with Consulting Women – building on the legacy of her late mother and her lifelong commitment to empowering women.

She grew up with a deep love of the sea and the natural world, spending a lot of time on the Isles of Scilly and sailing in the Solent (UK). That early love for marine environments now fuels her desire to support planetary health in a more hands on and tangible way, ideally while on or near the water! Joining eXXpedition is an exciting step in her continuing journey to support our planet, evolving our capability to protect our ecosystems and contribute to solutions for plastic pollution.

Mechanical Engineer/ Urban Affairs Editor

I began my career teaching at the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. I went back to school and got my degree in mechanical engineering at age 36 and joined Truck Operations at Ford.After retirement I returned to Turkey where, working for the World Resources Institute, I founded EMBARQ Turkey: an NGO dedicated to urban transport (now WRI Ross Center Turkey). I served as advisor to the Smart Cities Department of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality through September 2022. Currently I serve as the Urban Affairs Editor and Livable Cities columnist for the journal EKOIQ. I am also a co-producer and co-host of “The City Belongs to Us” on MedyascopeTV, shaping informed debate on sustainable cities.

Ever since I saw the Blue Marble photo, I have been an advocate for a healthy planet. And my superpower, at age 73, is that I am still excited to be living and learning on this beautiful planet; and fighting to protect it. I am thrilled to be undertaking a new role as “science researcher” on the exxpedition, especially since plastic pollution is of particular interest to me.

Turkey is one of the largest importers of plastic waste, in amounts that exceed its capacity to recycle. And the UK is importing waste to a nation that doesn’t have the capacity to recycle it. The result is out of sight, out of mind for the UK. But for Turkey’s Adana region it is rivers, road sides and landfills with bales of plastic waste that is NOT going to be recycled.

The solution is twofold: nations receiving waste MUST verify their capacity to recycle the incoming waste. And exporting nations should only export waste to nations that have verified their capacity to recycle.

Here’s to fair winds and following seas as we embark upon our voyage.

Environmental Sustainability Expert

I am an Environmental Process Engineer, Safety Engineer, and Certified Sustainability Expert based in Austria.

Originally from Hungary and a proud global citizen, I combine technical expertise with a deep passion for protecting our planet. As a mother of two, my commitment to creating a truly sustainable world is both professional and personal.

Driven to understand the impact of plastic pollution on our most fragile ecosystems, I actively support community-led climate initiatives in Austria. With eXXpedition Antarctica, I aim to turn science into stories — communicating and educating across generations to inspire practical, everyday sustainable action.

Sustainable Materials and Value Chains Specialist

Angela has spent 15 years following the journey of materials from their source into the products we use every day – and onward to the waste dumps once we throw them out. With a background in socio-economic development and human rights, her career has focused on responsible business conduct, specifically supply chain sustainability and social impact for small producers such as artisanal and small-scale miners and (e-)waste pickers. Angela currently leads the team responsible for fair materials integration at Fairphone, a Dutch electronics company, overseeing responsible sourcing, human rights and environmental due diligence, and chain of custody for 23 focus materials – including plastics – across global supply chains.

Having grown up in Switzerland, Angela is an experienced mountaineer and outdoor enthusiast who loves climbing, hiking, ski touring, cycling and just spending time in the mountains. Snow, ice, wind and weather are familiar to her – but sailing will be a new experience she is looking forward to getting into.

Angela intends to leverage her insights from the expedition back into corporate sustainability to advocate for truly fair and circular business models. She is committed to translating field science into storytelling, and to inspire the next generation to continue the fight to preserve our truly stunning and unique planet.

Director and Co-Founder

As co-founder of eXXpedition EMILY has seen first hand how much plastic ends up in our ocean. She has spent the last decade exploring the high seas from the tropics to the Arctic – enabling scientists, filmmakers and interested individuals to gain access to the most remote parts of our planet.

She has organised the largest ever community-led waste cleanup from a tiny Tongan island, trawled for micro-plastics on a voyage through the Arctic Northwest Passage, rounded the planet on the record-breaking biofuelled boat Earthrace, and worked on a sailing cargo ship trading western supplies for coconuts.

Emily splits her time between running eXXpedition and developing upstream solutions to the ocean plastic issue with corporate partners, scientists and government bodies. An experienced public speaker, Emily gives talks around the world at conferences, universities and global companies about her adventures and issues relating to our oceans, human mindset and future society.

You can find more information on Emily’s projects at www.emilypenn.co.uk.

Veterinary Technician and Conservationist

Samantha Clark is a marine conservation professional and licensed veterinary technician whose career has centered on sea turtle health, rehabilitation, and research. She is the Co-Founder and Director of Clinical Operations at Sea Turtle Specialists in South Florida, where she oversees the medical care and rehabilitation of sick and injured sea turtles and leads clinical research and scientific collaborations.

Sam earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Sweet Briar College and began working with sea turtles while monitoring nesting beaches during high school and college. After graduation, she spent eighteen months with the School for Field Studies in Baja California Sur, Mexico, conducting fieldwork that included population studies of sea turtles and gray whales. She later completed an AmeriCorps position at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center before becoming a licensed veterinary technician.

Over her career, Sam has worked across sea turtle rehabilitation, wildlife and zoological medicine, field and clinical research, and laboratory diagnostics. Her research interests include the impacts of marine debris on wildlife, and she is a published coauthor of research examining the composition and size distribution of plastics ingested by post-hatchling sea turtles.

Through eXXpedition, Sam is excited to take her interest in marine plastics from the subtropical waters where she has spent much of her career to Antarctic waters, contributing her perspective in wildlife health and marine conservation while exploring how plastic pollution connects marine ecosystems across the globe.

Lizzy Beyer grew up in Ocean County, New Jersey, where the ocean was an important part of her childhood and has continued to shape the person she is today. Growing up in a coastal community fostered a deep connection to the ocean while also opening her eyes to the environmental challenges facing coastal and marine ecosystems. Her relationship with the ocean has become both a source of joy and a driving force behind her work as an environmental educator and advocate. Lizzy holds a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). She currently works as a lecturer at Quinnipiac University, where she teaches Global Environmental Futures.

Lizzy is a surfer, freediver, and yoga teacher. She travels the world working as a surf instructor, yoga teacher, and retreat host with Surf With Amigas, an all-women’s surf retreat company that creates empowering spaces for women to connect with themselves, one another, and the ocean. Her work on the water has reinforced her belief that meaningful environmental connection often begins with direct experience and a sense of belonging. Lizzy is also a writer and is passionate about helping people develop deeper relationships with the natural world. She is particularly interested in the intersection of climate change, environmental grief, resilience, and collective healing. She hopes to create spaces where people can move beyond feeling overwhelmed by environmental challenges and toward curiosity, connection, and meaningful action.

Finance Professional & Senior Leader

As a mother of three (adult) children the preservation of the planet, addressing climate change and conserving nature is critical. I am passionate about addressing environmental harm, especially after seeing the devastation of plastic pollution whilst kayaking in remote locations in Europe, N America and Asia. Having recently retired as Co-leader and CFO of a biodiversity conservation charity, I am now dedicating my time and energy to environmental issues.

As a Chartered Accountant (ACA) with a MSc in Environmental Management, I have held senior roles across both the corporate and charity sectors. I have served as a Trustee for 3 charities and I hope to bring a wealth of expertise in finance, governance and strategic leadership. I therefore aim to contribute a combination of skills to this expedition which are less typical and would seek to share these skills to support ideas, projects and organisations.

On a personal level I am a keen cyclist, having recently completed National Cycle Route 1 from Dover to the Shetland Isles (over 2,200km), sea kayaker and hiker, as well as enjoying cooking, theatre and red wine!

Taking part in this expedition is a huge privilege and one I intend to use as a springboard to deepen involvement in active environmental action through both personal engagement and offering assistance to other participants in my specific areas of expertise. I am looking forward to the adventure, no doubt involving physical hardships and challenges, but the energising freedom of the great outdoors will be hugely rewarding.

Ocean Advocate and Marine Science Student

Kenia Marcano is a marine science student ocean advocate from Trinidad and Tobago passionate about connecting science, innovation and storytelling to create a healthier ocean.

Born in Ecuador to Trinidadian parents and raised across six countries, Kenia developed a global perspective from an early age and a deep appreciation for the ocean and the communities that depend on it. Her experiences living internationally sparked her interest in entrepreneurship and innovation, which she now applies to ocean and environmental challenges.

Kenia is the former World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council representative for Trinidad and Tobago in which she participated as a youth delegate at international ocean and climate events, including the UN Ocean Conference in Nice and the UN High-level Political Forum in New York. She is also the founder of Ocean Break, a youth-led initiative exploring solutions to plastic pollution and marine debris in Trinidad and Tobago.

Through eXXpedition, Kenia is excited to contribute to scientific research on plastic pollution in the Antarctic Peninsula while documenting the journey and findings with audiences back home and across the Caribbean. As the first person from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean selected for eXXpedition Antarctica, she hopes to highlight the connections between seemingly distant ecosystems and inspire greater participation from Caribbean and Small Island Developing State communities in ocean science and exploration.