Théa Jacob
WWF-FRANCE
Théa is the marine species and sustainable fisheries expert for WWF France based in Marseille.
Théa was born in the South of France, and spent her childhood in the countryside. From a young age, she has been passionate defending and protecting nature. In University, Théa started studying environmental law before shifting to marine biology in 2007. Afterwards she worked on conservation projects on marine turtles in the Indian Ocean and on coral reefs in Australia.
In 2010, Théa moved to New Caledonia in the Pacific to join the French Marine Protected Areas Agency, where she developed dugong, marine turtle and humpback whale conservation plans. In 2012, she joined WWF focusing on marine turtle and dugong monitoring and conservation, and co-management of marine protected areas with indigenous communities.
In 2016, Théa moved closer to her family roots, the Mediterranean, by joining the WWF France based in Marseille. Since then, she has worked on marine mammal, turtle, shark and ray conservation as well as improving small scale fisheries sustainability in the Mediterranean and beyond. Her key interests are developing strategies mitigate the impacts of growing marine traffic and fisheries in cetaceans.
Théa values collaborative and participatory approach to conservation to achieve a collective success, which is key tackling difficult environmental issues worldwide.
BlueCorridors.org has won a 2026 Webby Award in the Best Data Visualization category, recognising a global collaboration in bringing whale migration, growing ocean risks and conservation solutions to life online.
WWF is working with scientists and local fishing communities, such as in Peru and Indonesia, to trial new ways to reduce bycatch by attaching objects to gillnets. The general idea is to make the gillnets visible, highlighting them on a dolphin’s underwater map as it navigates the sea.
Have you heard of the ‘Blue Amazon’? Brazil’s massive coastline is a hotspot for marine life and, each year, whales travel thousands of kilometres to breed in its warm, nutrient-rich waters. A UN conference this month offers a key opportunity to strengthen protections for these whales and other migratory species.
WWF objects to MSC certification of Antarctic krill fishery and urges establishment of network of Marine Protected Area in Southern Ocean. Concentrated fishing is putting wildlife that rely on krill, such as humpback whales, at risk.
The Western Pacific Blue Corridors Forum, a three-day regional gathering from Feb 23-25, 2026, will bring together experts from the WWF, IWC and SPREP including indigenous and community leaders, fisheries organisations, government representatives and conservation practitioners to develop recommendations for national governments to advance whale conservation across the region.
This year marks 40 years since the world united to enforce a global moratorium on commercial whaling and give giants like North Atlantic right whales a chance to recover. Here’s what we’ve learned since then – and the work that still lies before us.
When Nations Unite, Whales Benefit: The Promise of the High Seas Treaty
A new global agreement to safeguard marine life in two-thirds of the planet's ocean is a lifeline for whales, but the next few years will be crucial.
As the third UN Ocean Conference draws to a close, WWF is encouraged by the commitments made in a number of areas, but warns that the measure of success will be in delivery.
In a major advance for marine conservation, WWF and a global coalition of leading scientists, civil society, governments, and tech innovators have launched BlueCorridors.org—a dynamic new platform that brings together three decades of whale tracking data with information on overlapping marine threats and conservation solutions. For the first time, the migratory “blue corridors” used by great whales are now digitally mapped and made publicly accessible to inform science, policy, and ocean protection efforts worldwide.
In the crystal-blue waters of the Caribbean, something remarkable surfaced. When Stacey Mac Donald, a researcher and a Regional Coordinator at the Caribbean Cetacean Society (CCS), received confirmation of a photo-identification match of a spinner dolphin mother and calf first sighted in Martinique in 2021 and then again in Bonaire in 2024—more than 800 kilometers away—the team had a genuine “wow” moment.