Megan Bryce
The newest member of the Rebel Fins team is Megan Bryce, a half Scottish, half Breton 23 year old ocean-lover. Raised in Finistere on the north coast of Brittany, France, she first discovered her passion for the ocean from her father, who is a sailor. Growing up she was entranced by stories of whales, translucent waters and phosphorescent plankton. Upon learning to drive, she spent every spare moment by the sea; surfing, swimming, sailing, running their border collies on the beaches, admiring shells and collecting plastic waste.
However, through spending more and more time in and around the ocean, Megan realised that the reality of the big blue wasn’t the perfect, peaceful place that her father had always described in his stories. The reality seemed overwhelming; waste, pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing, rising water levels and ocean acidification…
When Megan became aware of the danger the sea was in, she decided to act immediately. She focused her studies, and therefore her future, on the protection of our oceans. She recently graduated with a masters degree in environmental policy, and next year will complete a course in marine conservation.
Alongside her studies, Megan has been working with NGOs such as Surfrider Foundation Europe, Surfrider Australia, Coral Gardeners and scientific research organisations with the aim of helping individuals and public decision-makers to take better account of the importance of the ocean.
Megan said: "I try to encourage as many people as possible to take care of our oceans, in my meetings or on social networks. I also give as much time as possible to environmental NGOs through beach cleans and volunteering. When it comes to my hobbies, surfing in particular, I try to choose equipment that has the least possible impact on the ocean."
"Being so passionate about the ocean and sustainability, it makes me overjoyed to see responsible brands emerging that offer real solutions to tragic problems. Rebel Fins is a wonderful project with a lot of meaning, and I hope it can inspire many other initiatives to follow! Now that recycled fins exist, as beautiful and accessible as they are, I challenge anyone to give me a good reason to buy fins elsewhere!"
Megan’s next project is a slow and low-impact surf trip on a sailing boat with her boyfriend Luc from Oléron Island to the North of Finistere over several weeks in August. Her Rebel Fins will, of course, be on board! It’s great to have you on the team, Megan.
