Alan Leonardi has a multi-decade history of experience and leadership responsibilities in the ocean science, research, management, and education community. An employee of NOAA since 2003, Dr. Leonardi previously served as the Director of the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, where he led the National Ocean Exploration Program and served as Co-Chair of the … Continued
David L. Mearns is a chartered marine scientist, award-winning author and expedition leader of deep ocean projects. He is one of the world’s most experienced and successful deep-sea shipwreck hunters having located 25 major shipwrecks with an overall 90% success rate, and has been awarded five Guinness World Records, including one for locating the deepest … Continued
Kumar Mahadevan is the former President and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory, a research facility that has laboratories, an aquaculture research park, and an aquarium in Sarasota, and field stations in the Florida Keys and Charlotte Harbor. He retired in 2013 after 27 years at the helm. Under his leadership, Mote Marine Laboratory grew from a small … Continued
Victor R. Caivano is a seasoned visual journalist known for his multifaceted storytelling abilities, seamlessly blending photography and videography to convey compelling narratives. His career at The Associated Press has taken him to reside in many countries around the world and has been defined by a relentless pursuit of truth and a commitment to capturing … Continued
Ralph Rayner is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Centre for the Analysis of Time Series at the London School of Economics, is Chairman of Sonardyne International, and has responsibility for industry advocacy and outreach for the US Integrated Ocean Observing System at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Ralph plays an active … Continued
Stephanie L. Smith was central to social media endeavors at NASA-JPL for over 10 years, first as a Social Media Specialist and currently as the Digital and Social Media Supervisor. At JPL, she oversaw the social media team, which holds conversations with the public and media about more than 20 space missions, and tweets as … Continued
In addition to serving as director of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative at World Resources Institute, Kristian Teleki is head of the Friends of Ocean Action for the World Economic Forum, and head of the Secretariat for the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Economy. Until early 2018, he was the senior marine adviser to the … Continued
