Storytelling for Science

Jennifer Adler has always felt more comfortable underwater than on land. That early obsession with the ocean led from competitive sailing and marine biology to a PhD in ecology. As her research deepened, alongside dives into Florida’s freshwater caves, she recognised a growing disconnect between people and the aquifer beneath their feet. Even the science of the rivers at the surface was little known or communicated. She began documenting her own work and that of her peers, discovering how photography can carry science beyond academic journals and into public understanding.

After finishing graduate school, Jennifer moved full time into photojournalism focused on science and conservation, often spotlighting women working at the front line. This talk traces a decade of storytelling from Florida’s hidden springs to the forgotten forests beneath the sea. As kelp forests decline due to warming waters and cascading ecological effects, we risk losing ecosystems as well as cultural traditions. From the ama free divers of Japan to the virus that devastated sea stars along the west coast of North America, Jennifer reveals what it is like to work with scientists where humans cannot breathe, and how to craft images and narratives that make complex research resonate with audiences.

Who this is for:
• Photographers, filmmakers and editors who want to strengthen science communication through visuals
• Scientists, researchers and conservationists seeking strategies to share their work with wider audiences
• Educators, museum and aquarium teams, and programme leads developing curricula and public outreach