Abi Smigel Mullens
Aliases: Abi Smigel Mullens, Abi Mullens Role: Writer, Wetpixel associate editor, marine conservation journalist First appearance: 2010 ([1]) Affiliation: Wetpixel (associate editor)
Biography
Abi Smigel Mullens is a freelance underwater photographer, writer, and associate editor of Wetpixel. She is the third most prolific article author on the site with 728 articles, behind Adam Hanlon (4,931) and Eric Cheng (1,084).
Her articles span 2010 to 2022, with a sustained ~6-year peak (2013–2018) producing over 700 articles. Her coverage was primarily marine conservation and marine-life storytelling rather than gear reviews — she served as Wetpixel’s bridge between mainstream ocean news (BBC, National Geographic, New York Times) and the photography community.
Contributions
Conservation and Marine Science
Abi’s largest topic area (~169 articles) was marine life and conservation: shark protection, whale behavior, turtle nesting, coral reef health, and dolphin research. She covered legislative milestones (California AB376 shark fin ban) and linked Wetpixel readers to significant ocean science stories ([2]).
Photographer Interviews
She conducted notable interviews including Clark Little (wave photographer, 2013), Shawn Heinrichs and Hannah Fraser (2013), Benjamin Von Wong (2014), and Michael Muller (2016) ([3], [4], [5]).
Video and Film Coverage
Approximately 86 articles covering underwater films, video features, and the “Borneo From Below” series (~36 articles).
Competition Coverage
Approximately 86 articles covering results from UW photography competitions worldwide.
Trade Show Reporting
On-site coverage from Long Beach Scuba Show 2011, DEMA 2018, PHIDEX 2019 (Manila), and CMAS European Championship 2022 (Madeira) ([6], [7], [8]).
Article Output by Year
| Year | Articles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 21 | First year |
| 2011 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 65 | Output ramps up |
| 2014 | 113 | |
| 2015 | 139 | |
| 2016 | 145 | Peak year |
| 2017 | 134 | |
| 2018 | 107 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | Final article |
Timeline
- 2010-01: First bylined article on Wetpixel (Misool Eco Resort raffle) ([9])
- 2011-06: On-site reporting from Long Beach Scuba Show ([10])
- 2013–2018: Peak contribution period — 703 articles across 6 years
- 2016: Participated in Lembeh-Gulen Critter Shootout (Lembeh team)
- 2017-04: Covered CAS Easter Island expedition featuring Dr. Luiz Rocha ([11])
- 2018-11: On-site at DEMA 2018 ([12])
- 2019-10: On-site at PHIDEX 2019, Manila ([13])
- 2022-10: Final article: live report from CMAS European Championship in Madeira ([14])
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Jan 7, 2010: Misool Eco Resort Holds Fundraising Raffle To Support Ranger Patrol ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 9, 2011: California Ab376 The Shark Fin Bill ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 14, 2013: I Love Getting Thrashed Interview With Clark Little ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 18, 2013: Interview With Shawn Heinrichs And Hannah Fraser ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 25, 2016: Wetpixel Interview With Photographer Michael Muller ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 7, 2011: Report Long Beach Scuba Show 2011 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 15, 2018: Dema 2018 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 21, 2019: Phidex 2019 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 7, 2010: Misool Eco Resort Holds Fundraising Raffle To Support Ranger Patrol ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 7, 2011: Report Long Beach Scuba Show 2011 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 9, 2017: New Species Discovered In Easter Island ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 15, 2018: Dema 2018 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 21, 2019: Phidex 2019 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 4, 2022: Live Report Underwater European Championship And 1st Madeira Underwater Pho ↩
- First article — Misool Eco Resort raffle (2010) (article) ↩
- Long Beach Scuba Show report (2011) (article) ↩
- Interview: Clark Little (2013) (article) ↩
- Interview: Shawn Heinrichs & Hannah Fraser (2013) (article) ↩
- Interview: Michael Muller (2016) (article) ↩
- Easter Island expedition — Dr. Luiz Rocha (2017) (article) ↩
- DEMA 2018 (article) ↩
- CMAS European Championship — final article (2022) (article) ↩