As an environmentalist for over 40 years, Helene has spent her entire career on environmental projects including environmental impact statements, hazardous and toxic waste cleanup, unexploded ordnance remediation, natural and cultural resources, endangered species, public health, emergency management, air quality, and water quality in the Pacific and Asia. She developed and managed a $1.3 billion program for cleanup of former military sites. Ms. Takemoto was the senior program and project manager for environmental projects with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that covered the Pacific region. She also was an environmental analyst for the State of Hawaii Office of Environmental Quality Control. Helene has also volunteered as President of the Conservation Council for Hawaii, and served on the U.S. Navy Restoration Advisory Board for Pearl Harbor, Waianae, and Wahiawa. Helene has traveled extensively throughout the Pacific Area, and thoroughly enjoyed being in remote areas, and being the one of a few to collect scientific information in these areas. Through her travels she has noticed the degradation of the ocean environment in a short period of time. In many of the atolls, she has noted the ocean temperature rise, which has caused the bleaching of coral, and the problems of ocean levels rising. As a result, Helene believes we can do more to preserve the ocean environment. It is the foundation for life. Ms. Takemoto is extremely pleased to be part of the Sea Inspiration organization. She believes in its mission, and their goal to inspire people to care about, and for, the ocean environment.