Photographs by Michaela Rabinov & Avery Schuyler Nunn
Interview by Jake Smith

What do you think about when you think of science journalism? I bet it doesn’t look half as good as this! Meet our friend Avery Schuyler Nunn, a science journalist.

Avery, who has written for Smithsonian Mag, National Geographic, and Scientific American, to name a few, recently returned from a picturesque study of Anacapa Island—the small volcanic land-mass 11 miles off the coast of Ventura County, California. Home to the steep cliffs, jagged crags, and largest breeding colony of western gulls in all the world, Anacapa (a part of the Channel Islands) is also known for its dense thickets of lush kelp forests skirting its coastline. That’s where Avery went.

We had a chat to Avery to hear about her time beneath it all, and to learn more about her photography and the eco-conscious-lens she shoots life through.

It’s through her photography, she hopes to ‘bring this sense of awe […] and in turn, through that awe’ encourage ‘a sense of urgency and inspiration to protect’ all that she photographs. It’s this advocacy that has plunged Avery into the depths of ecology, documenting our earth in the name of protection.

Hey Avery! Tell us a little about this trip to Anacapa and your connection to the islands?

This was my first time exploring Anacapa, and Michaela and I had the most epic day. What I love most about experiencing new places – especially ones as raw as the Channel Islands – is that it’s a whole new geological and ecological element to uncover. The island is quite raw, with rugged cliffs that have been shaped over millions of years by the ocean and elements, and its jagged crags have created this wildly diverse ecosystem, particularly for birds and marine wildlife. And exploring kelp forests, especially with my camera, is something that makes me feel much more connected to the natural world and ecosystems. The kelp forests that surround Anacapa are incredibly lush, and we got super lucky with the visibility that day, so freediving was a dream! From carbon sequestration to the abundance of marine life that they support, kelp forests are crucial to global health, and the reality is that they’re dwindling fast worldwide. Whenever I’m diving in a dense area of kelp out on the islands, I try to capture some of the moments that mesmerize me most about these places – the way that the light seeps through the canopy, the species that weave between the trees, etc – and hope that in sharing my images from the forest helps bring this sense of awe to others who may not have access to kelp forests, and in turn, through that awe, feel a sense of urgency and inspiration to protect them.

What’s your current day to day consist of?
 
Beyond getting an early morning surf or trail run in, it’s difficult to describe a general day to day, because there really isn’t one! I’ve learned over the years that in order to make freelancing work, I’ve needed to intertwine a bunch of different projects at all times. Some days I’ll be out overseas covering work in the field for Smithsonian Magazine or Scientific American, other days I’ll be in the ocean freediving and photographing for an entire afternoon and getting prints prepared for pop ups – but most days I’m at my computer grinding out on a deadline for National Geographic, researching recent scientific abstracts to see if an immersive story can be crafted out of it, or hammering editors with pitches for upcoming work.

When did your passion for the ocean and our planet develop?
 
I like to think that this was fostered from the moment I came earthside – with most of my favorite childhood memories being writing poems by a creek, playing in the ocean with my family, clambering around weeping willow trees, searching for frogs in the grass. But my relationship with the ocean really deepened when I started surfing everyday, and once again deepened when I started diving. My passion for our planet and planetary health was ever present, but that side really sparked for me just after college when I was backpacking around Patagonia (Chile/Argentina) for a few weeks. I witnessed glaciers calving and collapsing for the first time, and it was incredibly beautiful, but it was also this kind of shocking “wow” moment that I was witnessing a pretty obvious symbol of what is happening on our warming planet.

How did you get into freediving?

I got into freediving when I had first moved to California (from the East Coast, where I grew up) and was living in Laguna Beach. One of my closest friends, Sydney, had spent some time diving around and taking photos of kelp on her Nikonos film camera, and we started swimming out a lot together. After reading Deep by James Nestor, we were totally hooked – I would do this morning run route where I could pass by all of the potential dive spots, and then after getting enough computer work done that day would sprint down to the beach with my camera and dive in wherever the swell looked calmest/viz looked best that day.

How has that helped guide you and your career up to this point?

When I returned from Patagonia, with a full notebook and full memory card of images, I thought perhaps I’d be able to combine my passions (earth sciences, writing, art, photography, conservation) if I pursued science journalism. I sent some photos and story ideas around to a few magazines, and that’s where it really all started. A year later I went to graduate school for science journalism, and from there started crafting the kind of self-created mish-mash career that I had always envisioned!

What are some of your favorite editorial pieces you’ve worked on? What’s the goal with your writing?
 
The primary goal is to make data and research more accessible to a wider range of people, and if on top of that the pieces can be a fun and narrative piece of storytelling – that’s the best outcome. If it leaves readers thinking a bit more outside the box, gets some gears turning or teaches people something new, then I generally feel good about it! Some favorites:

༄https://grist.org/science/last-ice-area-disappearing-arctic-lake-permafrost-thaw-science/
༄ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/oil-rig-eureka-reef-marine-wildlife?loggedin=true&rnd=1691688731378
༄ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-conversations-with-whales-teach-us-to-talk-with-aliens/
༄https://whalebonemag.com/alaskan-jellyfish-discovery/
༄ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-look-to-ancient-hawaiian-reefs-for-clues-about-future-sea-level-rise-180982753/

Thanks Avery! Finally, where can people find your work?

Thank you! Find more of my work at:
@earthyave on Instagram
My website