31 March 2026
At the age of sixteen, Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz from Cádiz is already working on a series of maritime and educational projects that all follow one clear line: bringing people closer to the sea through knowledge, art, and clear, accessible explanation. As a young diver, freediver, aquaculture student, and recently appointed Ambassador for the European Climate Pact, she wants to show that the ocean is not a distant subject, but part of everyday life.
From Cádiz to a public role
Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz says that her connection with the sea goes back to her early childhood. When she was four years old, she saw sperm whales in the Strait of Gibraltar. Since then, the sea has grown into a framework through which she understands the world. From Cádiz, she now tries to communicate climate and ocean-related issues in clear language, especially in educational and local contexts.
That commitment recently gained an extra dimension within the European Climate Pact. In that role, she wants to turn difficult climate and ocean issues into language that can also be used in classrooms and in people’s immediate surroundings. For her, it is not only about knowledge, but also about closeness: people should not only know the sea, but also see it as something that affects their own lives.
A book about sharks
The project that is currently most advanced is Sin aletas no hay paraíso. It began after Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz learned what finning involves: sharks whose fins are cut off and who are then thrown back into the sea alive, with no chance of survival. That reality led her to study in depth the condition of shark populations and the pressure these species are under.
The result is an illustrated watercolor book featuring around fifty shark species, each accompanied by short, accessible, and at the same time accurate information. The work aims to correct common perceptions of sharks and make their role in marine balance clear. Alongside the book, she is also working on oil paintings that address themes such as overfishing, finning, and other forms of human pressure on sharks.
The project is receiving substantive support from several specialists. The book includes a foreword by oceanographer Gádor Muntaner and contributions from shark expert and biologist Charlie Sarria. At the University of Cádiz, the scientific content is being reviewed by researcher Remedios Cabrera. The organization Oceana also plays a role in the broader project, as the proceeds from the book are intended to support its work in marine protection.
Underwater noise in the Strait of Gibraltar
Alongside the shark project, Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz is working on a second line of work that is more technical in nature. It focuses on the underwater noise generated by fast ferries in the Strait of Gibraltar, an area of high biodiversity where sound is of great importance to many species. During her studies at the University of Cádiz, she explored this issue and came to understand that the ocean is not a silent space, but an environment in which sound is essential for communication, navigation, and finding food.
For species such as cetaceans, disruption of that acoustic environment can have serious consequences. From that understanding came a proposal to examine measures that could reduce the acoustic impact of maritime traffic. This work is still in an early phase, with the current focus mainly on securing enough support to submit the plan on a solid basis.
From knowledge to classrooms
A third line in her work lies in education. Within the framework of the European Climate Pact, Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz wants to bring the content of climate issues to schools in a way that is easy to understand. In her view, climate change should not come across as something happening far away. It should become visible as something connected to everyday choices, including what people eat and how they consume.
Her shark project is also closely linked to that goal. In her view, many people do not realize that they are eating shark because the fish is sold under other names. As a result, the link between consumption and pressure on key species often remains out of sight. That is exactly where she wants to intervene: not with accusations, but with explanation that helps people make better choices.
Support, planning, and first print run
Sin aletas no hay paraíso is currently in the funding phase. Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz wants to raise money through crowdfunding to publish the book while also involving people in the project from the outset through pre-orders. After publication, she is aiming for a first print run of around five hundred copies, intended for both private individuals and organizations.
After that, she wants to use the project in schools as an educational tool. At the same time, she is seeking further partnerships to expand the initiative’s reach. The fact that talks have already taken place with the Diputación de Cádiz, the Ayuntamiento de Cádiz, and the University of Cádiz is, in her view, a sign that the project is resonating beyond her own immediate circle.
A generation learning to read the ocean again
For Natalia Rodríguez Ruiz, the heart of the work lies in reducing the distance between major environmental issues and everyday life. In her view, the decline of sharks is not merely an ecological issue. It affects biodiversity, marine food chains, economic activity, and ultimately human life as well. Today, around one third of sharks, rays, and chimaeras are threatened with extinction, populations have declined by more than seventy percent over the course of a few decades, and around one hundred million sharks are caught every year.
This interview and publication were authorized by her father, Fernando José Rodríguez Russo.
Andy Vermaut +32499357495