Led by legendary oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue unites a global coalition to inspire support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas – Hope Spots, with the goal of reaching at least 30% ocean protection by 2030.
“I have always loved the ocean and it was a huge inspiration when I first met Dr Sylvia Earle many years ago. Learning about Sylvia’s work to advance ocean awareness and science shaped my commitment to ocean conservation. The science is clear, marine protected areas help protect and restore biodiversity, enable the ocean to be more resilient to threats, and secure the food and livelihoods of billions of people who rely on a healthy ocean. My own work like that of Sylvia and Mission Blue supports the global call to fully or highly protect at least 30% of our planet by 2030,” says Dona Bertarelli.
“As the woman who set the record for deepest untethered dive, I am delighted to welcome the woman who is the fastest to sail around the world to the Mission Blue board. Dona Bertarelli will be an invaluable resource to our organization considering her extensive experience in so many aspects of ocean conservation. We hope that by working closely with creative changemakers such as Dona, we can further develop strategies to move hearts and minds across the globe to act while there is still time to turn the tide towards a healthy ocean,” says Mission Blue Founder, Dr Sylvia Earle.
About Mission Blue
Mission Blue inspires action to explore and protect the ocean. Led by legendary oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas – Hope Spots. Under Dr Earle’s leadership, the Mission Blue team implements communications campaigns that elevate Hope Spots to the world stage through documentaries, social media, traditional media and innovative tools like Esri ArcGIS.
Mission Blue also embarks on regular oceanic expeditions that shed light on these vital ecosystems and build support for their protection. Currently, the Mission Blue alliance includes more than 200 respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations, from large multinational companies to individual scientific teams doing important research. Additionally, Mission Blue supports the work of conservation NGOs that share the mission of building public support for ocean protection. With the concerted effort and passion of people and organizations around the world, Hope Spots can become a reality and form a global network of marine protected areas large enough to restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.