About Us

National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, called Her Deepness by the New Yorker and the New York Times, Living Legend by the Library of Congress, and first Hero for the Planet by Time Magazine, is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist, government official, and director for corporate and non-profit organizations including the Kerr McGee Corporation, Dresser Industries, Oryx Energy, the Aspen Institute, the Conservation Fund, American Rivers, Mote Marine Laboratory, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Rutgers Institute for Marine Science, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Ocean Futures.

Formerly Chief Scientist of NOAA, Dr. Earle is the Founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc. (DOER), Founder of the Sylvia Earle Alliance (S.E.A.) / Mission Blue, Chair of the Advisory Council of the Harte Research Institute, inspiration for the ocean in Google Earth, leader of the NGS Sustainable Seas Expeditions, and the subject of the 2014 Netflix film, Mission Blue. She has a B.S. degree from Florida State University, M.S. and PhD. from Duke University, 27 honorary degrees and has authored more than 200 scientific, technical and popular publications including 13 books (most recently Blue Hope in 2014), lectured in more than 90 countries, and appeared in hundreds of radio and television productions.

She has led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater including leading the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970, participating in ten saturation dives, most recently in July 2012, and setting a record for solo diving in 1,000 meters depth. Her research concerns marine ecosystems with special reference to exploration, conservation and the development and use of new technologies for access and effective operations in the deep sea and other remote environments.

Sustainable Nonprofit Leader | Ocean Conservation Advocate | Strategic Fundraiser

As Chief Advancement Officer at Mission Blue, Laura Cassiani works closely with Dr. Sylvia Earle and the Board of Directors to drive the organization’s mission, strategy, and programs. Offering an entrepreneurial and donor-centric approach, she builds strong relationships with corporate and foundation partners while overseeing the development of sustainable revenue-generating programs aligned with Mission Blue’s Hope Spot initiative, including global engagement, expeditions, policy, and outreach.

As its first Executive Director and current Chief Advancement Officer, Laura has built Mission Blue from the ground up, securing global endorsements from NGOs, governments, and Fortune 500 brands. Under her leadership, the Hope Spot initiative has expanded its reach, mobilizing grassroots conservation efforts in over 69 countries and influencing international ocean policy. Since joining the organization in 2009 as Chief Operating Officer, she has been instrumental in advancing its mission, serving as Executive Director from 2016 to 2021 before transitioning to her current role.

With early career roots in the technology sector, Laura brings multi-sector expertise in strategy, programs, and partnerships. She has led global marketing initiatives for Apple, Microsoft, and Cisco, managing major product launches, including Steve Jobs-era innovations such as the iMac G3, OSX, and iTunes.

In 2002, she and her family moved to Switzerland, where she worked at the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), leading a capital campaign for IUCN’s new LEED platinum headquarters. Focused on sustainability, biodiversity, and climate change, she helped bring conservation issues to light in the private sector and secured $5M in early-phase funding.

For the past 15 years, Laura has been dedicated to building Mission Blue and supporting Dr. Sylvia Earle’s vision for a healthier, living ocean. She is an IUCN-certified expert in Nature-Based Solutions and has cultivated lasting partnerships with Rolex, Biotherm, MSC Foundation, National Geographic, TED, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, and Google, among others.

Laura lives in Napa Valley with her husband, two children, and their Anatolian Shepherd rescue, Teddy. In addition to her work in ocean conservation, she is an avid gardener specializing in native plants and founder of Garden Girl Napa, a container gardening consultancy. She also enjoys painting, whale watching, and connecting people to nature.

As Mission Blue’s Managing Director, Kate Killerlain Morrison serves as member of the executive management team who oversees the day-to-day operations of Mission Blue, ensuring that organizational and strategic goals are met. She collaborates with the President, Dr. Sylvia Earle, the Board of Directors, and a passionate team of conservationists to advance Mission Blue’s mission of ocean protection through sound administrative, financial and operational management.

Throughout her career, Kate Killerlain Morrison has served in leadership roles across both government and nonprofit sectors, in the U.S. and internationally, primarily at times of change, overseeing the launch of new programs and functional teams. From local shellfish commissions to the International Maritime Organization to regional fisheries meetings and the United Nations, for the past twenty years, Killerlain Morrison has enthusiastically represented organizations and programs and has worked through a diverse multi-sector network.

As the first External Relations Director of The Ocean Foundation, Ms. Killerlain Morrison aims to leverage the organization’s two-decades-old community foundation approach of pooling funds from individuals, governments, private foundations and corporations to improve global ocean health, climate resilience, and the blue economy. Her team is responsible for strategic communications, marketing and fundraising to increase brand awareness and to raise unrestricted and programmatic donations to support the organization’s work. In this role, Ms. Killerlain Morrison oversees content generation for external digital and print publications, social media channels, website copy and email newsletters, fields corporate partnership inquiries, assists with Board of Directors relations, serves as a spokesperson for the organization and coordinates cross-functionally with Program (technical subject matter expert), Finance and Operations teams and the Foundation President.

She previously served as Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, a five-state regional ocean partnership, and was part of a two-person staff secretariat for the Sargasso Sea Commission, one of the first regional efforts to coordinate governments to promote international recognition of the global significance of the Sargasso Sea. Ms. Killerlain Morrison developed the inaugural marine conservation program at the Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she secured the first state permit granted for shellfish restoration, providing the foundation for a much larger program that operates today.

Early in her career, Ms. Killerlain Morrison staffed the first-in-the-nation ocean management plan and early implementation of Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force recommendations, developed in response to the first offshore wind facility proposal in the U.S., and supported the launch of the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, one of the first regional ocean partnerships in the nation.

Louise has always had an interest and passion for nature and on
holidays with family would always be found splashing around in the
ocean or exploring the tidal pools. She studied Marine Biology at the
University of Plymouth in the UK and whilst there was able to obtain
her SCUBA instructor and commercial diving licenses.

She started her career working for a small marine conservation NGO who
ran expeditions in the Philippines and Cambodia. During these
expeditions she trained volunteers to SCUBA dive and to survey the
coral reefs, this data was then used to inform the local government on
which areas to designate as MPAs. Louise has also worked on mangrove
restoration, seahorse conservation, MPA research and alternative
livelihood projects for the Zoological Society of London. She has also
assisted with the management of a range of Nature Reserves including
wetland, woodland, meadow and marshland habitats and since moving from
the UK to South Africa 6 years ago, she has been managing conservation
projects for a range of Critically Endangered species in Cape Town.

Cape Town is a nature lover’s dream with an incredible amount of
biodiversity in and out of the water and Louise spends her free time
trail running with her dog, hiking with friends and open water
swimming.

Emily Davenport joined Mission Blue in 2026 as Communications Director, bringing nearly a decade of experience translating environmental science into clear, compelling stories that drive awareness and action. She leads the organization’s communications strategy, amplifying global ocean conservation efforts and elevating the voices of scientists, communities, and partners working to protect marine ecosystems.

Emily holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Western Washington University and has a background in oceanographic research, including time spent aboard a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker studying Bering Sea sediments—a Mission Blue Hope Spot. Prior to Mission Blue, she served in communications leadership roles at The Ocean Foundation, MARACOOS, and the University of Georgia, blending scientific expertise with strategic storytelling to advance conservation and sustainability goals.

Caro Dratva’s greatest love is the ocean. She developed a deep connection with the sea through her hobbies of scuba diving, sailing, and surfing. Caro’s dedication extends to various organizations, including The American Red Cross, Reef Check California, The Marine Mammal Center, and GUE (Global Underwater Explorers). She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from San Francisco State University and pursued studies in Psychology at Stanford University. To further indulge her passion for ocean exploration, she enrolled in Marine Biology courses at City College of San Francisco.

During her leisure time, Caro enjoys scuba diving, capturing photographs of underwater creatures, and exploring land-based natural wonders around the globe. She also eagerly anticipates engaging in activities like surfing, sailing, paddleboarding, or kayaking when the weather permits in the breathtaking San Francisco and Monterey Bays.

Taylor Griffith is an award-winning ocean storyteller, artist, and filmmaker whose work bridges art, science, and exploration. Specializing in underwater and deep-sea cinematography, he has logged dives in multiple manned submersibles and spent hundreds of hours underwater, becoming one of the first filmmakers to capture deep-sea bioluminescence under natural lighting. His work spans film, photography, and installation, exploring the relationship between humans and the living ocean. He has worked on films including Deep Trouble, Souls, and Sea of Hope, and has participated in expeditions from the Arctic and Antarctic to the Galápagos Islands, Coral Triangle, and across North America. Taylor is based in Los Angeles and is a permanent artist in residence at AltaSea.

Dr. Tessa Hempson is a conservation biologist with a curiosity about the natural world that began growing up in the African savannas but quickly led her to the ocean. In her role as Chief Scientist for Mission Blue, Tessa is working to integrate a science-based approach to catalyze the organization’s extensive network and realize Dr. Sylvia Earle’s vision for ocean protection. Tessa has over 20 years of experience in marine conservation and is passionate about working with people to develop conservation solutions that are founded
on strong collaborative relationships, well-targeted research, effective communication and storytelling, and underwritten by empowered local custodianship of our marine environment.

Tessa holds a BSc. Hons, and an MSc. in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD in coral reef ecology from James Cook University in Australia, where she remains an adjunct researcher. She led the establishment of the Oceans Without Borders Programme with &Beyond and Africa Foundation over 6 years in East Africa and is a member of the Monaco Explorations Scientific Advisory Committee, an Explorers Club Fellow, and has worked as a researcher in a number of remote locations around the world.

Moloko Kgowedi joined Mission Blue in 2026 as GIS Analyst, bringing expertise in geospatial technology and spatial analysis to support the organization’s mission of ocean protection through the global Hope Spots network.

Prior to Mission Blue, Moloko served as a Geospatial Consultant at Esri South Africa, where he developed innovative mapping solutions for environmental conservation and natural resource management. He holds a degree in Geography and Environmental Science from IIE MSA (now known as Emeris) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, and spending his high school years in Mozambique, Moloko became deeply fascinated by the natural world and the various processes that shape our globe. This early exposure to the interconnectivity of terrestrial and marine environments inspired him to seek geospatial technology as an effective tool for environmental conservation.

Dan is Emeritus Marine Vice Chair of WCPA, having retired from that position in 2022. During his near two decades of work for WCPA he led the increase of MPA coverage from around 1.3% of the global ocean to the c8% seen today, the creation of the original global 20 – 30% MPA target in the Durban Accord, and the ‘at least 30%’ MPA target at Sydney World Park Congress. The latter, resoundingly supported by IUCN members at Hawaii World Conservation Congress, and adopted for land and freshwater, has now become the central focus for negotiations in the CBD’s post-2020 biodiversity framework. During his tenure, among many significant achievements, he was instrumental in forming the High Seas Alliance, in laying the basis for UNESCO’s Marine World Heritage Programme, and creating such influential phrases as ‘marine and coastal carbon sinks’, ‘ocean risk’, and ‘natural solutions’. Working with his co-editor Professor John Baxter, together they created some of the most downloaded publications for IUCN in recent decades, focused on elevating topics such as ‘ocean warming’ and ‘ocean deoxygenation’ into the global public domain. He also led Commission members in the development of specific marine WCPA guidance on the IUCN Management Categories and created and led the development of IUCN’s MPA Standards.

Kristen Lennex joined the Mission Blue team in 2025 as the Donor Relations Associate and brings more than a decade of experience supporting nonprofit development, donor relations, and financial operations. She works closely with colleagues to manage donor data, coordinate systems and processes, and support effective stewardship that advances Mission Blue’s conservation efforts.

Kristen has a strong background in donor database management, financial workflows, and administrative operations, and is known for her collaborative approach. She grew up near the Great Lakes, where time spent around the water inspired a lifelong appreciation for aquatic ecosystems and continues to motivate her commitment to ocean and water conservation.

Robin’s background has been in Accounting & Finance for the past 20 years as well as human resources. She decided to leave the corporate world of finance and help in any way possible for our oceans around the world, this is her passion as she has seen what effects have taken place in the ocean since she started diving twenty-three years ago. Robin was born and raised in Southern California where she spent many hours and days at the ocean, Robin has held many underwater clean-ups at local lakes in the Northern California area. She hopes that we see a difference in our oceans in her lifetime.

Sean is passionate about creating content that makes the world a better place. He was first inspired by Sylvia’s message when he saw the Netflix film Mission Blue, and began focusing on making documentary films that inspired change.

Sean has a degree in Media Studies and Production from Marist College, and he has been freelancing full-time for the past 6 years. His curiosity for the natural world has always kept him within arms reach of the ocean or the mountains, and he currently resides in Portland, OR where he is an equally short drive to both.

Sean is looking forward to creating more films that help inspire protection for the ocean.

Shannon started with Mission Blue in 2018 as Director of Finance and Operations before transitioning into the role of Hope Spots Program Manager full-time. She oversees the Hope Spots Program working with the global network of Hope Spots and Hope Spot Champions as well as the Hope Spots Council. Her journey in environmental conservation began as a child having a deep-rooted love for nature. Growing up in California she was able to spend time in nature both land and sea. She traveled regularly to the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii throughout her teenage years where she grew even fonder of the ocean. Her love and passion for nature and its animals led her to a degree in Environmental Studies and Planning with an emphasis on Water Quality Technology and Hazardous Materials Management. She worked for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board out of college and then transitioned into business management.

Throughout the years she witnessed the negative impacts humans have had on the natural systems and felt a strong calling to rejoin the environmental conservation field. She has volunteered and helped raise funds for a number of animal rescue organizations and considers animals blessings, that enrich our lives. Fun fact, her dog A.J. (since passed) once got to meet a whale shark in Baja, California while on a boat trip. Working with Champions and communities around the world, committed to ocean conservation has been an inspiring, rewarding and humbling job. She is committed to contributing to a sustainable and healthy environment for all living beings.

Maddie Warner is a storyteller and science communicator. Joining Mission Blue in 2026, she leverages her background in chemistry and environmental policy to bring Mission Blue’s message of hope to a wide audience. Maddie has worked alongside international diplomats to protect the deep ocean, elevating perspectives from scientists and local communities to center ocean conservation efforts.

Most recently, Maddie managed communications for the LA STEM Collective, a community of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics organizations across LA County. She holds a BS in Chemistry from Georgetown University and an MA in International Environmental Policy with a concentration in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Her time in the Monterey Bay (a Hope Spot!) and growing up near the Chesapeake Bay (another Hope Spot!) have instilled in her a deep respect for the interconnected nature of the ocean and our world.

As Mission Blue’s Controller, Tamika utilizes her analytical skills in all aspects of financial reporting, internal controls, and compliance. Those skills combined with extensive experience in budgeting, forecasting and non-profit financial management, allow her to provide insightful analysis to the senior leadership team to support the strategic initiatives and growth of Mission Blue. Tamika’s relationship with Mission Blue began in 2012 through her company DAS Unlimited, Inc. as a contractor providing tax and accounting services and support. Over her career, she has provided these services to large and small businesses in a variety of industries; however, most of her non-profit clients have been in the field of ocean conservation. While she is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of her fondest childhood memories was on a school science field trip aboard a skipjack doing research in the Chesapeake Bay. That was the experience that sparked her interest in the world’s ocean.

As Director of Development, Erin Whittle leads Mission Blue’s global fundraising strategy and donor engagement efforts, working closely with senior leadership and the Board of Directors to expand support for ocean conservation. She plays a key role in cultivating the philanthropic partnerships—individuals, foundations, and corporate allies—that make Mission Blue’s work possible.

Erin brings more than 16 years of experience in conservation philanthropy, having held senior fundraising positions at leading global organizations, including The Nature Conservancy and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She has helped raise significant funding for initiatives ranging from marine protected area expansion in the Caribbean to Indigenous-led conservation in Canada and climate action around the world.

Originally from landlocked Dallas, Erin developed a deep personal passion for the ocean later in life. She now lives with her family in Northern California—just a short drive from the dramatic Pacific cliffs that remind her daily why this work matters.