The Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognises an individual that has taken the lead on globally significant actions, such as policy or advocacy initiatives, for the benefit of ocean health, over an extended period of time. The winner of this award will have shown consistent leadership and vision on ocean issues, going above and beyond others in their commitment to protecting marine life.
Criteria: Nominees for this award must have a demonstrable track record of leadership on marine issues. They must either have initiated or taken a lead in influencing a globally important effort for the benefit of the ocean or seen an important milestone in a previously initiated effort.
The finalists are:
- Dr Nancy Knowlton – Sant Chair for Marine Science, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Duane Silverstein - Seacology
- Maximilliano Bello Maldonado – UNFCCC COP26 Ocean Champion, Mission Blue
- Paul Nicklen – SeaLegacy & National Geographic
Dr Nancy Knowlton – Sant Chair for Marine Science, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Dr. Nancy Knowlton’s life-long science, educational and outreach initiatives have made fundamental contributions to ocean health. Her research highlighted the role of alternate stable states in blocking the recovery of marine ecosystems and the importance of genetic diversity of coral-algal symbioses in determining sensitivity to global warming, laying the groundwork for today’s focus on creating more resilient reefs. As the founding director of Scripps’ Centre for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, she created a global model for ocean solutions-based education uniting the physical, biological and social sciences. Her focus on solutions led to her co-founding the #OceanOptimism campaign, used by over 45,000 Twitter accounts, whose philosophy – balancing threats with solutions so that challenges do not lead to hopelessness - has permeated conservation programming globally.
Duane Silverstein - Seacology
Few people have done more to protect the world’s oceans than Duane Silverstein. In 1999, Duane became the first Executive Director of Seacology, a non-profit dedicated to protecting island habitats and cultures. In the past 20 years, he has grown the organisation from a small non-profit with only $16,000 in the bank into a thriving international environmental organization with a $3 million annual budget and a portfolio of more than 300 projects in 64 countries throughout the world. Duane has led efforts that have resulted in the establishment of over 780,020 acres of marine protected areas where fish and coral reefs are safe from exploitation. Many of these locations (including the Caribbean, Micronesia, the Indian Ocean, and the Coral Triangle) are home to endangered ocean species such as marine turtles, whale sharks, and corals. Most recently, Duane spearheaded an informational campaign in support of the largest marine park in the Cook Islands.
Maximilliano Bello Maldonado – UNFCCC COP26 Ocean Champion, Mission Blue
Maximiliano Esteban Bello Maldonando is an international ocean policy expert who has worked in the environmental arena for over two decades to advance marine conservation priorities. He has worked with WWG, as the Director of Strategy for Centro Ballena Azul, Director of Campaigns for Oceana, and as a key policy advisor for Pew Charitable Trusts for over a decade. Maldonado now works as an MPA Policy Advisor for Mission Blue, is a Global Fellow at The Wilson Centre, Latin American manager of Island Conservation and the founder of and Advisor for the Edinburgh Ocean Leaders programme.
Paul Nicklen – SeaLegacy & National Geographic
Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over twenty years. As an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine, Nicklen captures the imagination of a global audience. He is a TED Talk favourite (>2.5 million views) and shares his photography and conservation efforts with over 6.8 million social media followers. To Nicklen, one of his greatest achievement has been documenting the ice melt in the Arctic and Antarctic. His photograph and video of a starving polar bear became a global sensation, invoking feelings of heartbreak and anger around the climate crisis.
Return to the finalist page here.