Meet Ocean Mama: a day in the life of Kirana Agustina

Kirana Agustina is a marine biologist and ocean advocate from Indonesia – the world’s largest archipelagic nation and home to some of the richest marine biodiversity on the planet. Today, she is the Indonesia Chapter Manager for our IPPIN program.

 

 

I’m Kirana Agustina, an ocean advocate from Indonesia – the world’s largest archipelagic nation and home to some of the richest marine biodiversity on the planet. Today, I serve as the Indonesia Chapter Manager for IPPIN.

My journey with IPPIN began in 2020, when I was managing the Indonesia National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) at World Resources Institute Indonesia. That’s where I first met Amelia Fyfield, CSIRO’s Southeast Asia Director, who introduced me to the vision of IPPIN.

I became involved early on in supporting the development of the IPPIN Blueprint, collaborating on the 2022 Demo Day, and later moderating the 2024 edition – without ever imagining I would one day be part of IPPIN’s leadership.

My academic and career path has always been tied to the ocean. I studied marine science before completing a postgraduate degree in Human Geography (Environment, Politics and Society) at University College London, supported by a Chevening Scholarship.

Along the way, I’ve been honoured to be a UN-Nippon Fellow and to join eXXpedition, sailing upwind over 1200 nautical miles across the Atlantic to the Azores, to conduct scientific research on ocean plastics.

I’ve worked with Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, as well as Indonesia’s Regional Secretariat of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security.

I also founded Perempuan Laut Indonesia (Women of the Ocean Foundation), an initiative dedicated to advancing women’s leadership in ocean conservation.

IPPIN has become a platform where I weave together these experiences – science, innovation, networks, and inclusive leadership – to tackle ocean plastic pollution, one venture at a time.

What does a typical day in your life look like?

No two days are the same. As a mother, my daughter is my real alarm. She wakes me up before 6 a.m., and that morning routine grounds me before the workday begins. No matter how busy I am, she reminds me of balance.

At work, I spend a lot of time connecting – with local innovators refining their solutions, partners exploring collaborations, or colleagues across the Indo-Pacific Chapters as we share lessons and updates. Each conversation reminds me that innovation is ultimately about people.

Right now, a big focus is preparing for IPPIN’s Demo Day, our flagship event where innovators present their solutions to potential investors, mentors and partners across Thailand, Indonesia and Viet Nam. Demo Day is so much more than pitching. It’s about giving local ideas the visibility, networks, and confidence they need to grow nationally, regionally and even globally.

You’ve been nicknamed Ocean Mama. What does that mean to you?

Ocean Mama is a nickname I carry with love. It came after I became a mother and at the same time began nurturing my own community through Perempuan Laut Indonesia. Today, we gather over 100 women experts in ocean conservation, each contributing their knowledge and passion to protecting our seas.

To me, the name reflects care, protection, and nurturing – just like the ocean itself. I see my role as a bridge, connecting people back to the sea, amplifying the voices of women and youth, and ensuring that innovation is not only about technology, but also about people and their relationship with nature.

It’s about fostering stewardship, inspiring action, and creating a space where solutions are built with both heart and science.

Ultimately, my daughter is my constant guide. She inspires me to keep working, to create a better environment and a healthier ocean – not just for today, but for her future and for the generations to come.

Q: Tell us about IPPIN and why is this work so important to you?

For me, the ocean is not just a workplace – it’s home, heritage, hope and my legacy. I want younger generations to feel that same connection. My dream is to see children swimming in cleaner, healthier waters, free from plastic waste.

IPPIN is about bridging ideas with opportunities. Its purpose is to stop plastic pollution before it ever reaches the ocean by empowering innovators from every corner, including remote island communities, building strong networks, and supporting circular economy solutions across the Indo-Pacific.

The impact is twofold. On one hand, it’s visible through tangible innovations – solutions that are scalable and directly reduce plastic waste. On the other, it’s about a powerful shift in mindset, showing that when communities, businesses, scientists and governments work together across borders, real and lasting change is possible.

If we can empower communities to be part of the solution, I believe we can restore the ocean to a state of health and beauty that future generations deserve.

Supporting innovators across the Indo-Pacific is a huge job, how does IPPIN work to collaborate geographically?

We work as a family of chapters – different in context, but united by the same mission. We share knowledge, co-design activities and connect innovators to peers beyond their borders so they can learn, adapt, and grow together.

One moment that truly inspired me was seeing innovators from a remote island in Indonesia connect with teams across Southeast Asia. Though separated by thousands of kilometres, their challenges were strikingly similar and so were their creative solutions. That exchange reminded me that while our islands may be scattered, our oceans unite us.

What also makes these collaborations special are our working sessions where I get to hear so many different accents of English. It’s a small reminder of how diverse yet connected we are. And in IPPIN Incubator or Accelerator+ workshops, we always provide interpreters. This is something I’m especially proud of, because it empowers people with brilliant ideas – even those who may not be confident in English – to join, learn and grow alongside peers from across Southeast Asian nations. It shows that innovation doesn’t belong to just one language, but to everyone willing to imagine a better future.

What role does collaboration and international partnerships play in solving the plastics crisis?

Plastic doesn’t stop at borders. A bottle discarded in one country can easily wash ashore in another. To truly tackle this crisis, we need shared knowledge, shared resources, and shared responsibility. International collaboration allows us to combine diverse ideas and scale solutions in ways no single nation could achieve alone.

My experience on the eXXpedition voyage really brought this lesson home. While sailing across the North Atlantic, I was struck by the sheer volume of plastic even in the most remote waters. On islands and coastlines far from human settlements, plastic debris had travelled thousands of kilometres, silently connecting us all.

What inspired me most was meeting women from different countries on the expedition, each bringing unique skills, knowledge and perspectives. Everyone has a role to play, and everyone has a superpower to contribute. Plastic travels the world, and so must the solutions. Change cannot happen in isolation; it requires all of us, working together, across oceans and borders, toward a shared goal.