Earth Day Every Day

Natalie Sinclair is a Scottish marine biologist and conservationist. The recipient of a Carnegie PhD Scholarship, Sinclair is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on the fine-scale cultural evolution of humpback whale song in the North Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans. Sinclair is a 2019 National Geographic Explorer.

Cristina is pioneer of the modern conservation photography movement as well as the the President, Co-Founder & Lead Storyteller at SeaLegacy. SeaLegacy’s mission is to create healthy and abundant oceans for us and for the planet.

Dr. Katy Croff Bell is the Founder and President of the Ocean Discovery League and a National Geographic Explorer. She is on a mission to break down the barriers to the deep sea by combining low-cost technologies, AI-driven data analysis, and capacity building to make access to the deep sea more efficient and accessible to all, especially those historically excluded in the field. Her background in ocean engineering, maritime archaeology, and geological oceanography, and leadership of dozens of expeditions around that world, uniquely position her to create efficient, equitable systems to broaden access to the deep sea.

I would like to nominate Jackie Hildering (aka The Marine Detective) for her amazing work to help connect people to the ocean and its inhabitants and make people aware of their plight. She inspires me every day and I was able to meet her when she came to my hometown to speak at the Sitka Whale Fest. She has a way of connecting with people and a contagious enthusiasm for her work that is so amazing... [L]ook at her fb page “The Marine Detective” and check out her work with marine mammals via MERS. —Karen J., Sitka

Dr. Austin Gallagher is the Chief Executive and lead scientist at Beneath the Waves, as well as a National Geographic Explorer. A marine conservation biologist and world authority on sharks, he has worked diligently studying and advocating for highly migratory species around the world. 

Paul North is the founder of Meet the Ocean, a creative conservation 501c3 nonprofit educating the next generation of ocean advocates, as well as the host of its educational podcast.

Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš is the Founder of Azul, a grassroots organization working to conserve marine resources by bringing Latinx perspectives and participation to ocean conservation. 

Murray Fisher and Pete Malinowski are co-Founders of Billion Oyster Project which restores oyster reefs to New York Harbor through community collaboration and public education initiatives. 

Anna Kelly was the lead author and researcher on the Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies (IMAS)-led team that discovered microplastics in Antarctic sea ice for the first time.

Dr. Jessica Hutchings is a kaupapa Māori research leader trained in environmental and Indigenous studies. She’s also a Hua Parakore (Māori organic) farmer on a small family farm. 

Florence Reed is the Founder of Sustainable Harvest International, an organization that works with communities in Central America to fight poverty, hunger, and deforestation.