Over the next several years, as I’d spend months at sea with such ocean conservation advocates, I developed a list of factors that I thought answered that question. Yes, they cared about fish or, more generally, marine life. To ask them about their purpose was to hear a narrative about resisting broader forces like greed, climate change, and the needless killing of living creatures. But there were visceral motivations, too: adventure, the chance to travel, the thrill of a good fight, seeing places few others knew existed, acquiring practical seafaring skills, the camaraderie of shared purpose.
