Field of research/work: Marine and Antarctic science (policy)
Antarctic media and documentary
YTS Years: 2026
Sae's Notable career moments
Had my first bath (sorry mum!)
Fell in love with rockpools at Port Campbell, Victoria
Left high school, working at a restaurant with no plans for university
Travelled to beautiful Vietnam and Japan, sparking a curiosity to study something nature-ey
After Covid, decided to conquer VCE as an adult: I did it!
Moved to Warrnambool to study Marine Biology
Snorkelled, snowboarded and surfed in Japan!
Graduated Marine Biology at home in Melbourne and moved to Tasmania to study to be an Antarctic guardian!
Started researching (watching a lot of Antarctic films) and joined the Young Tassie Scientists!
About Sae Tosaki
You know that big white blob on the bottom of the map? You may know it as Antarctica. A lot of people don’t realise, but it’s one of the most important places on the planet! Not only is it home to amazing creatures like penguins, seals and whales, but it also plays a key part in keeping our planet cool! Because it is such a special place, it needs extra special protection. That’s where I come in: I’m training to be an Antarctic expert and guardian!
How did I get here, you ask? Well, I grew up in inner-city Melbourne, Victoria, pretty far from the coast (for an Australian). Even as a city slicker, I’ve always loved water. As a baby, I was happiest in the bath and saddest when my mum tried to get me out. As a child, I discovered the ocean: a huge, infinite bath full of truly incredible things. You should have seen my mum try to get me out of there!
It turned out I loved the ocean so much that as an adult, I moved 300 kilometres from home to study to be a Marine Biologist! Now I’m 800 kilometres even further south, in Hobart, studying how we can protect marine ecosystems (life underwater) in important places like Antarctica. I love the ocean, but even more, I love learning how people connect with and truly care about it!
Right now, I’m researching how films and documentaries – think of Ocean or Planet Earth by David Attenborough – make people feel connected to Antarctica and other places that feel far away. By looking at this, we can help more and more people understand how much that big white blob does for us every day!
