Anna Cummins has over 20 years of experience in environmental non-profit work including marine conservation, coastal watershed management, community relations and sustainability education. Her work focuses on the overall impact humans have on the environment, as well as the oceans and how they are a gateway in allowing debris to flow.
In 2008, she launched a month-long 4,000-mile research expedition studying plastic debris in the North Pacific Gyre. This inspired her to start 5 Gyres, an international non-profit organization which focuses its attention on all five subtropical gyres, large systems of circulating ocean currents.
In 2010, Cummins gave a TEDx talk, “Synthetic Sea, Synthetic Me,” which has been viewed by thousands. In the talk, she discusses ocean pollution and offers a new outlook on the severity of plastic in our oceans.
A 5 Gyres-led campaign to eliminate plastic microbead pollution in oceans resulted in a federal ban, which President Obama signed into law in 2015.
Anna received her undergraduate degree in History from Stanford University, and her Master’s in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey.
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA
Education: M.A. in International Environmental Policy
Occupation: Environmental educator
Expeditions: Co-founded the 5 Gyres institute to study plastic pollution, exploring 50,000 nautical miles and leading 19 research expeditions in all 5 subtropical gyres and many of the world’s lakes and rivers
Favorite Place: A lush, coastal redwood forest, the ocean in sight, and my husband and daughter by my side
Best Discovery: Completed Ist global survey of ocean plastic pollution; established the Plastics BAN (Better Alternatives Now) List
Favorite Items In The Field: UGG boots and my mother’s chocolate biscotti
Personal Heroes: Rachel Carson and Vandana Shiva
Hobbies: Cooking, hiking, cycling, violin
Website: www.5gyres.org
Advice: Enjoy every moment with your loved ones – our time together is fleeting.
