INTRODUCING REEM
Ocean Scientist ♦ Storyteller ♦ Steward of Oceanic Futures
Bahraini marine ecologist Dr. Reem AlMealla is a field researcher, conservation strategist, biodiversity advisor, and creative educator. Raised on the shores of a small island nation in the Arabian Gulf, her work bridges ancestral plus local knowledge and modern science to protect fragile ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. As Bahrain’s first woman marine field ecologist and the driving force behind Nuwat for Environmental Research & Education, Reem’s leadership spans ocean conservation, environmental policy, and citizen science.Through her storytelling, she translates the language of ecosystems into powerful narratives that awaken action, stewardship, and hope.. Her pathways flow from coral reefs and oyster beds to government halls, international negotiation spaces and grassroots movements — quietly but powerfully shaping futures where nature and humanity thrive together.
INTRODUCING REEM
Ocean Scientist ♦ Storyteller ♦ Steward of Oceanic Futures
Bahraini marine ecologist Dr. Reem AlMealla is a field researcher, conservation strategist, biodiversity advisor, and creative educator. Raised on the shores of a small island nation in the Arabian Gulf, her work bridges ancestral plus local knowledge and modern science to protect fragile ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. As Bahrain’s first woman marine field ecologist and the driving force behind Nuwat for Environmental Research & Education, Reem’s leadership spans ocean conservation, environmental policy, and citizen science.Through her storytelling, she translates the language of ecosystems into powerful narratives that awaken action, stewardship, and hope.. Her pathways flow from coral reefs and oyster beds to government halls, international negotiation spaces and grassroots movements — quietly but powerfully shaping futures where nature and humanity thrive together.
INTRODUCING REEM
Ocean Scientist ♦ Storyteller ♦ Steward of Oceanic Futures
Bahraini marine ecologist Dr. Reem AlMealla is a field researcher, conservation strategist, biodiversity advisor, and creative educator. Raised on the shores of a small island nation in the Arabian Gulf, her work bridges ancestral plus local knowledge and modern science to protect fragile ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. As Bahrain’s first woman marine field ecologist and the driving force behind Nuwat for Environmental Research & Education, Reem’s leadership spans ocean conservation, environmental policy, and citizen science.Through her storytelling, she translates the language of ecosystems into powerful narratives that awaken action, stewardship, and hope.. Her pathways flow from coral reefs and oyster beds to government halls, international negotiation spaces and grassroots movements — quietly but powerfully shaping futures where nature and humanity thrive together.
RESEARCH
Science, Conservation & Storytelling
A multidisciplinary marine ecologist with deep roots in the Arabian Gulf, Dr. Reem AlMealla combines field research, policy engagement, and storytelling to safeguard fragile ecosystems across Bahrain and beyond. After earning her BSc in Marine & Freshwater Biology from the University of Essex and her MSc in Ecology, Evolution & Conservation from Imperial College London, Reem completed her PhD at the University of Essex, where she pioneered research on coral reef carbonate budgets in the Gulf — becoming the first Bahraini woman to publish on the subject of coral reef science.
For over a decade, Reem has served as a scientific advisor to the Bahraini government, helping shape national biodiversity strategies and championing evidence-based conservation policies. Her work bridges field and policy, spanning local and global waters Her work spans local and global waters — from Bahrain’s pearl oyster beds and coral reefs, to the island nations of the Seychelles, to the vibrant archipelagos of Indonesia — gathering evidence, nurturing resilience, and weaving new narratives of hope for the ocean’s future.
Alongside her research, Reem has worked with international bodies including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and grassroots conservation efforts, while founding citizen science platforms like Tadween and FinSight Bahrain.
Today, she challenges traditional silos between science, community, and policy — translating complex ecological realities into stories and strategies that inspire protection, action, and change.
NUWAT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION
Entrepreneurship Rooted in Stewardship
A scientist by training and a storyteller by soul, Dr. Reem AlMealla knew early on that protecting ecosystems required more than just data — it demanded new structures, new voices, and new ways of working that honored both ancestral wisdom and scientific knowledge. In 2022, driven by this vision and her frustration by traditional models of conservation that often excluded local voices and deeper connections to place, Reem founded Nuwat for Environmental Research & Education W.L.L. — Bahrain’s first dedicated environmental research and conservation think tank.
Nuwat was born not just as an organization, but as a living movement: blending research, conservation, education, and policy advisory services to protect Bahrain’s natural heritage while empowering communities to thrive alongside it. Through Nuwat, Reem sought to reimagine how environmental work could be done — infusing it with storytelling, community participation, and a profound respect for the interconnectedness of people and nature.
Today, Nuwat stands as a growing force in the Gulf region: a platform generating pioneering ecological data, building capacity among local youth, leading national biodiversity strategies, and advancing citizen science. Rooted in environmental responsibility and inspired by the ancestral relationship between people and place, Nuwat exemplifies the possibility of creating systems of research and action that are both scientifically rigorous and deeply human. Guided by Reem’s entrepreneurial spirit and vision, Nuwat continues to grow — not just as an institution, but as a reminder that meaningful conservation begins with courage, creativity, and community.
EDUCATION
Building Learning Spaces Without Walls
For Reem, education is not confined to classrooms, lectures, or traditional institutions. It is a living, breathing journey — rooted in place, built through hands-on experience, and nourished by community. A passionate advocate for education without walls, Reem designs creative, multi-faceted learning experiences that reconnect people with the natural world. She organizes, leads, and runs outdoor field excursions across Bahrain’s coastlines, oyster beds, mangroves, and deserts — crafting immersive programs for school groups, university students, and the wider public to learn directly from the land and sea.
Reem’s commitment to building accessible environmental education spaces led her to found bnature — Bahrain’s first digital environmental encyclopedia — and NatureXchange, the country’s first environmental career fair designed to connect youth with pathways into conservation, research, and policy work.
Through years of working in the field, Reem has cultivated a vibrant network of farmers, fishermen, and field workers — a living community of knowledge-holders who actively contribute to her educational efforts, helping shape a more environmentally conscious and literate society. Beyond structured programs, Reem generously shares her expertise through guest lectures at schools and universities, supporting student research projects, and delivering public talks — both in-person and online — to diverse audiences across Bahrain and the Gulf region. Whether speaking to young students just beginning to explore environmental science or mentoring emerging researchers on complex ecological fieldwork, her approach remains grounded in experience, empowerment, and connection.
Mentorship remains at the heart of Reem’s philosophy. Through her leadership at Nuwat, she has mentored young aspiring scientists — particularly young women — guiding them through research training, field skills, science communication, and environmental advocacy. Each program, field excursion, and mentorship opportunity reflects Reem’s belief that education must be experiential, collaborative, and grounded in the living systems we seek to protect.
WOMEN IN CONSERVATION
Empowering Arab Women in Ocean and Environmental Science
The path to conservation must be inclusive — but for too long, Arab women working in marine and environmental sciences have found themselves underrepresented, isolated, and unheard. Dr. Reem AlMealla’s journey into women’s leadership began in 2007, when she joined the Women2Women (W2W) Empower Peace Program — an early experience that deepened her commitment to global citizenship, peace-building, and empowering young women to become changemakers.
Building on these roots, in 2012 Reem entered the international climate space at the UNFCCC COP18 negotiations in Doha, Qatar, through the nurturing support of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO). There, she found mentorship and community in the global movement to amplify women’s voices in environmental governance.
Since then, alongside her work as a marine ecologist and scientific advisor, Reem has carried gender equity into every dimension of her leadership. In 2015, she was awarded a scholarship to WEDO’s Women Climate Justice Advocates Program, further strengthening her commitment to intersectional environmental action. Throughout her career, Reem has participated in gender mainstreaming workshops under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), contributed to national gender and environment initiatives, and advocated for greater inclusion of women in conservation and climate decision-making.
In 2020, during the isolating early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reem founded the Gulf Women in Environmental Science Network (GWIES) — the first regional platform dedicated to women in the Persian-Arabian Gulf working in environmental sciences. Born from a personal search for connection, GWIES was created to provide a supportive, collaborative space where women could share experiences, opportunities, and mentorship — empowering emerging leaders to navigate and thrive in the field.
Over the past decade, Reem has mentored many young women, offering guidance, support, and a belief in their ability to shape the future of conservation. She feels deeply blessed that, over the past two years at Nuwat, all her interns have been young women — a beautiful unfolding that, while never by design, has been entirely by nature. Today, GWIES continues to grow as a beacon for solidarity, mentorship, and hope — a living testament to Reem’s belief that protecting ecosystems must go hand-in-hand with nurturing the leadership and resilience of women who have long been overlooked, but who are vital to shaping a thriving future.
ADVOCACY & OUTREACH
Speaking Engagements & Global Presence
A passionate advocate for environmental stewardship and a powerful public speaker, Dr. Reem AlMealla has shared her voice at major international platforms — inspiring audiences to reconnect with nature and reimagine conservation through the lens of science, community, and spiritual ecology.
Over the years, Reem has spoken alongside some of the world’s leading environmental and climate figures, including the legendary Dr. Sylvia Earle (legendary oceanographer and ocean advocate), Prince Hussain Aga Khan (founder of Focused on Nature and acclaimed nature photographer), Christiana Figueres (former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany (Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency), and Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (conservationist and Uganda’s first woman wildlife veterinarian).
A highlight of her speaking journey includes serving as moderator for the conversation between Dr. Sylvia Earle, Prince Hussain Aga Khan and world renowned scientists at the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai, UAE — a moment that reflected her ability to bridge scientific leadership, advocacy, and storytelling at the highest levels.
Reem’s voice extends beyond global conferences into workshops, policy dialogues, and grassroots community engagements — always carrying a message of resilience, hope, and interconnection. Reem also leverages social media for ocean advocacy, and you can follow her sharing her passion for oceans on Instagram along with other platforms.