THE FINS UNITED INITIATIVE

The Fins United Initiative is a shark, skate, ray and chimaera education and conservation program aiming to unite fin lovers worldwide. Our mission is to provide easy-to-access information on all sharks and their relatives worldwide through partnerships with educational institutions and other programs.



The organization was first establish in 2013 in sunny Florida, and was dubbed as "Sarasota Fins." Inspired by the lack of shark education and conservation integrated in school curriculum's, The Fins United Initiative founder, Melissa C. Marquez, began creating the tools and products she believed will help inspire understanding of these beautiful creatures. As the program's popularity grew, its educational outreach expanded and the need for a more encompassing name became clear: thus, The Fins United Initiative was born.



We use innovative, participatory learning techniques that allows non-expert audiences to fully grasp the important role these animals play in our oceans and the threats they face. From easy-to-understand bio blog posts, infographics, handouts, and more, The Fins United Initiative provides materials that anyone can use, allowing for anyone to be a TFUI representative. We have also partnered up with Keep Fin Alive to create “The Little Fin Fighters,” allowing for shark education to be led by even the littlest of environmentalists.



​The Fins United Initiative has connected with schools and other educational services in all 50 USA states as well as over 12 countries… and it has no plans of stopping any time soon.

For more information on The Fins United Initiative, visit our website here.