April 2010 - Mission Blue

Monthly Archives: April 2010

Mission Blue Voyage A Success!

Orca by TED/James Duncan Davidson

After an amazing four days of dreaming, learning, envisioning and committing to a better future for the ocean, the Mission Blue Voyagers are home–and a sea change is already underway. Eight definitive initiatives were launched, and $15+ million was pledged by many of the individuals on board the National Geographic Endeavor.

Here’s a summary:

$1 million to help improve the protection of the waters around the Galapagos Islands
$500,000 to establish a network of marine protected areas in the Arctic, including a high seas science reserve 
$3.25 million to initiate a public affairs campaign to end fishing subsidies 
$350,000 to create educational programs to teach students about the ocean issues 
$1.1 million to launch a plan to support efforts underway by the government of Bermuda to protect the Sargasso Sea and commitments to raise a further $2.5 million to support the long-term efforts 
Initiative to bring together a pan-Pacific alliance to link seascapes across the Pacific 
$8 million to create a new partnership to fund longer-term oceans projects 
Campaign to promote the development and use of new technologies for ocean exploration and research 

Guests out on the water
TED/James Duncan Davidson

The Mission Blue Voyage comprised 100 leaders, thinkers, visionaries, conservationists, and no small number of celebrities—all of whom demonstrated their care for our planet’s Blue Heart.…

Posted in Galapagos, hope spots, jean-michel cousteau, marine protected areas, mission blue, sylvia earle, TED |

Leave a comment

TED Teams Up With Sylvia Earle to Launch Mission Blue

Mission Blue to Ignite Public Support For Creation of Hope Spots

NEW YORK, April 6 /PRNewswire/ — Today, TED and Sylvia Earle, the 2009 TED Prize winner and world-renowned, deep-ocean explorer, announced the launch of Mission Blue to raise awareness of the urgent need to create Marine Protected Areas – Hope Spots – ranging from the deepest oceans to sunlit reefs. The announcement came on the first day of the Mission Blue Voyage, a first-of-its kind conference hosted by TED from April 6-10 aboard the National Geographic Endeavour in the Galapagos Islands.

 

 

Mission-Blue Hope Spots

“I am thrilled to be working with TED to make my wish of creating a global network of Hope Spots a reality,” said Sylvia Earle. “The ocean is in trouble and therefore so are we.…

Posted in Uncategorized |

Leave a comment

Mission Blue Voyage

This conference-at-sea, the first of its kind,  was conceived by Dr. Sylvia Earle to bring together 100 global leaders—scientists, businessmen and women, policymakers, communicators and others—for several days of deliberation about the intertwined future of the ocean and humankind.  Traveling among the spectacular Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour, the participants are focused on fulfilling the wish Sylvia outlined in her TED Prize acceptance speech in 2009:
“I wish you would use all means at your disposal – films! expeditions! the web! more! – to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”

Mission Blue Voyage Update 

Sea Lion foraging

Cormorants nesting with eggs

The Galápagos Islands are unlike any other place on Earth—and our first day amply demonstrated this, as voyage participants branched out by land and sea. …

Posted in Mission Blue Foundation, sylvia earle, Ted ocean |

1 Comment

Serenading Sylvia

So far, the weather is warm and the scenery is spectacular!  Mission Blue guests continue to roll in and the energy is ramping up.
The other night after dinner,  a small group of guests wanting to linger came upstairs to the lounge on-board. Out came a couple of guitars from our film and local boat crews.

Daryl Hannah, Damien Drake & Fischer Stevens all kicked off  a little Latin jam session that was so much fun!. Serenades both humorous and heart-felt were dedicated to Sylvia.  It was so apparent that her positive spirit touches everyone around her.  She is respected, adored and carries the message of hope for the ocean so powerfully.

Written by Laura Cassiani…

Posted in Uncategorized |

Leave a comment

Day 1 — Mission Blue Voyage

National Geographic Endeavour
Credit: Sven-Olof Lindblad

The first wave of Mission Blue guests arrived in Ecuador late last week.  We were met by our gracious Lindblad guides, transported to the National Geographic Endeavor and in the water for the first dive of the day by 1 pm.
Our divers sighted hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, loads of fish and sea lions—some with pups.  Later that evening, Sylvia hosted a welcome dinner at Angermeyer Point restaurant in Puerto Ayora, which is owned by her dear friend and Galápagos native, Fiddy Angermeyer.

Dr. Sylvia Earle toasts the crew and early arrivals TED / James Duncan Davidson

Sylvia noted that when she first met Fiddy in 1966, the Galápagos Islands had less than 1000 residents; today there are almost 30,000.…

Posted in Uncategorized |

2 Comments

We've Updated Our Privacy Policy

Read our new privacy policy here.