Adams studied environmental waste management at university and worked in the Philippines and Indonesia before changing careers in the late 1990s.

She moved into IT working for IT consultant Capgemini before helping in her husband's market research company.

It was while the couple were living in Singapore that Adams decided to commit herself full-time to setting up the foundation.

The couple moved to Shanghai in 2006 and it took her a year to obtain her first grant from the Dutch government to establish the foundation.

She later convinced the corporate world to come onboard.

"One of the reasons I like being in China is there are more than 1 billion people here, so if you can make a change here you can change the world," she says.

The foundation counts Siemens and footwear manufacturer Crocs as some of its corporate supporters and depends heavily on volunteers for most of its research and activities.

"I am a resident of Singapore, I was born in Rotterdam and I now live in Shanghai, so I have lived in three of the biggest ports in the world and I feel like that is my connection," Adams says.

"I feel like I really want to give something back and try to ensure that the oceans will be okay and we can still enjoy it. Whatever happens, I want to feel like I did my best to make a change," she says.

For more information, visit www.marinedream.org or www.aqualife.org.cn.Julie Adams

Nationality: Dutch

Age: 38

Profession: Managing director of Marinedream Foundation

Q&A

Self-description:Easygoing, environmental, goalgetter.

Favorite place: M1NT

Strangest sight: Guy on bicycle with boxes in his cart stacked up to about 4 meters.

Worst experience:Air pollution.

Motto for life:Always believe in yourself.

How to improve Shanghai:

Environment.

Advice to newcomers:Join one of Shanghai's volunteer clubs: Beans shanghai, Hands on Shanghai, Marinedream Foundation - it

is a great way to get to know new people while helping others.

(Shanghai Daily September 10, 2009)