Christine Figgener was born in 1983 in Haltern am See and grew up in Germany's industrial Ruhr valley. After studying biology in Tübingen and Würzburg, she earned a PhD in marine biology from Texas A&M University. Christine has lived and worked in Costa Rica since 2007, researching sea turtles and fighting for their protection. Her video of the painful removal of a plastic straw from a sea turtle's nose went viral and catalyzed the global debate about single-use plastics that led to them being banned in many countries. For her science communication and outreach efforts, Time magazine honored her as a Next Generation Leader in 2018. She founded and leads COASTS (the Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation and Science) and the consulting firm Namaka Conservation Science, both devoted to researching and conserving sea turtles. "As long as I am breathing, I will try to make a difference." Christine Figgener, Time magazine