Linda Bercusson has spent much of her career working alongside people who care deeply about the ocean—from Indigenous leaders and community advocates to scientists, policymakers, storytellers, and philanthropists. Based in Aotearoa New Zealand, she is a Co-founder and Council Member of Moananui Sanctuary and serves as Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Whale Fund.

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Over more than two decades, Linda has worked across conservation, communications, and philanthropy, helping build partnerships that turn ambitious conservation ideas into practical action. Her work has taken her across the Pacific, where she has contributed to initiatives focused on ocean governance, sustainable fisheries, blue carbon, and Indigenous-led stewardship.

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She is particularly interested in the stories we tell about our relationship with the natural world and how those stories shape the way we care for it. In recent years, her work has focused on supporting Indigenous-led efforts to strengthen ocean stewardship and advance new ways of recognising the cultural, ecological, and intrinsic value of whales.

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Linda believes some of the most enduring conservation solutions emerge when different knowledge systems come together with mutual respect and a shared sense of purpose. Through Moananui Sanctuary, she helps bring together Indigenous leaders, researchers, policymakers, and funders to explore new approaches

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Originally trained as an environmental journalist and natural history writer, she continues to draw on storytelling as a way to connect people, ideas, and action in service of the ocean.