Dr. Andrea Marshall is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer – popularly referred to as Queen of the Mantas. She was the first person in the world to complete a PhD on manta rays. After completing her thesis, Andrea chose Mozambique as the location to spearhead the conservation efforts of Manta Rays along the remote coastline.
in 2009, she co-founded the Marine Megafauna Foundation.
In 2010, I undertook the transformation of MMF’s online presence and advertising and became friends with Andrea and this project was one of the most important and enjoyable projects of my life, as the subject matter is also one of my lifelong passions.
I had always wanted a website to showcase my personal marine conservation work. It was Steve that pushed me to create my own site and I could not be more grateful. He helped me design something allows me to share my research and photography in a fun and engaging way with my followers.
The best thing about my site is that he really took the time to get to know me, so my site is both tastefully designed and really reflects my personality.
Steve also knows that I am short on time. He designed my site to be easy to use and easy for me to maintain. Honestly I could not be happier with what he has created for me. I cannot believe that I did not make a website earlier!”
– Dr. Andrea Marshall. Queen of the Mantas.
The Website
Create a new identity and website for Dr. Andrea Marshall. Queen of the Mantas. National Geographic Explorer. Director of the Marine Megafauna Foundation in Mozambique. What a fun project.
Andrea’s research expeditions have taken her from Ecuador to Myanmar and seemingly everywhere in-between. She has traveled across five continents as a part of her ”Ray of Hope” expeditions as well- a business she runs with her husband and dive buddy, Janneman Conradie.
Her extraordinary encounters and work with rare, elusive, or highly threatened species such as the smalleye stingray, dugong and wedgefish have earned her publications in scientific journals and popular magazines alike. Armed with her own camera and often accompanied by documentary crews, Andrea has introduced the world to a new frontier of African diving.
From the BBC’s award-winning documentary on her life, to cutting-edge virtual reality experiences like IMMOTION’s Flight of the Manta, to an upcoming feature in Netflix’s new ‘Our Oceans’ series, Andrea continues to use hard science and visually stunning media to capture the world’s attention and focus it towards the conservation of the Mozambican coastline.
I’m pretty pleased to have played a part in all that.
The Main Banners
When designing a website, I liked to treat virtually every element as a stand alone piece of advertising, which also reflect the overall branding. These revolving banners illustrate my point perfectly. Each banner was designed to communicate different aspects of the website and the work Andrea was doing, or the trips she was offering.
In 2022, Andrea was honoured by Dr. Sylvia Earle and Mission Blue, as the champion of a newly declared “Hope Spot’ along the Inhambane Province, the coastline she has been working to protect for over 20 years. She vows over the course of her life to help turn this area into one of the most important protected seascapes in Africa- the marine equivalent of the Serengeti.
Said best in her own words, “The oceans still have so much to offer us, so many secrets to reveal. We must continue to embrace research, exploration, and conservation. I still marvel at how little we know about our great oceans. This sense of the unknown is what should drive us. It should inspire us. Now, more than at any other point in history, we have the distinct opportunity to become both the explorers and the ambassadors of this wondrous, liquid frontier.”
Integrating Online Videos and the YouTube Channel.
The acclaimed BBD Natural History documentary Andrea: Queen of Mantas debuted in Nov 2009 to an audience of 2.4 million people and has since been shown in over 100 countries worldwide.
Carefully integrating full streaming video capabilities within Queen of Mantas was critical to Andrea while we were developing the website.
The Solution & Result
While still too early to talk about success of the site, the fact is that it is inevitable that this website will do more for Dr. Marshall than can be anticipated.
With the accelerated advances of the internet and the programming of this website, backed with advanced Google Analytics and the dedication from Andrea, Janneman and myself, it is inevitable that this site alone will transform the lives of hundreds of people annually and advance global conservation efforts.
Something that makes me very proud.
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