By Nektaria Riso

Growing up my parents could not care less about the type of clothing I wore and how I did my makeup or styled my hair.  There were really only three major rules in my house: do well in school, don’t do drugs and no talking back. I pretty much was able to experiment with my clothes as much as I wanted to. I went through a goth phase (but hey who doesn’t), I wore cardigans exclusively for quite some time and then I refused to wear pants unless it was at least -30 degrees Celsius and even then, I had to really think about it. Through these fashion faux pas and disasters, I learned a valuable lesson and was able to figure out what I felt comfortable wearing and what I didn’t.

By Poornima Peiris

For many people, sharks and rays are regarded with fear, but for young marine biologist Melissa Marquez they inspire admiration, respect, and an entire career. Marquez raises awareness about chondrichthyans (the class to which sharks, skates, rays, chimaeras, and cartilaginous fish belong) through her foundation The Fins United Initiative. Marquez has a BA (Hons) degree in Marine Ecology and Conservation from the New College of Florida, USA and an MSc in Marine Biology from the Victoria University of Wellington, NZ.