Protecting the Ocean's Vital Places

Pristine Seas

Inspiring some of the largest marine reserves in the world.

Without the ocean, life would be impossible. It provides food, livelihoods for billions of people, and regulates the climate. But the ocean is under threat from overfishing, global warming and pollution.

Yet today, only 8% of the ocean is somehow protected — and less than 3% is fully protected from fishing and other damaging activities.

Pristine Seas works with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, government and partners to protect the last wild places left, but also areas that have been somehow degraded by human activities, so they can bounce back. Marine life thrives in these marine protected areas and provides multiple benefits to people, from food and coastal protection to jobs and economic revenue.

41
Expeditions completed around the world
6.6
6.6 million square kilometers protected
200 +
Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
26
Marine reserves created

Where we work

Since 2008, Pristine Seas has carried out 41 expeditions to over 30 places, 26 of which have since been protected, covering a total area of more than 6.6 million square kilometers.

Map by Sam Guilford, NGS Staff

The Global Expedition

In 2023, National Geographic Pristine Seas launched a bold new conservation effort: The Global Expedition. The Pristine Seas team of scientists, policy experts, and filmmakers, will spend the next five years exploring the tropical Pacific aboard the R/V Argo, a 130-foot customized research vessel and media center, with the goal of supporting communities and governments in their efforts to protect the ocean. The Argo is Pristine Seas’ modern-day equivalent of Jacques Cousteau’s famous ship Calypso, but with an ocean conservation purpose.

You can follow the Argo live @natgeopristineseas on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads!

A closer look

Our team of scientists, filmmakers and policy experts have traveled across the ocean — from the poles to the tropics — to inspire the creation of marine protected areas. Take a closer look at some success stories from around the world.

Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha is a remote group of islands in the South Atlantic with an irreplaceable population of seabirds and a unique marine ecosystem. In 2020, the U.K. government and the people of Tristan da Cunha made a visionary declaration to create the Atlantic’s largest marine reserve.

Juan Fernández Archipelago

Six hundred kilometers off the coast of Chile lies the Juan Fernández Archipelago. We worked with the local community to support their proposal to create the largest marine park of the South American continent, protecting its waters from industrial fishing and benefiting tourism and local fishing.

Revillagigedo Islands

In partnership with Mares Mexicanos, we conducted an expedition to the Revillagigedo archipelago, “the Galapágos of Mexico,” home to extraordinary life, including sharks, manta rays and whales. A year later, the government of Mexico created and expanded the island’s existing MPA.

Niue

Niue, a raised coral atoll, is an island country in the South Pacific, home to an incredible shark refuge of grey reef sharks, a globally threatened species. In 2017, the government of Niue announced the creation of a large-scale marine protected area of 127,000 square kilometers.

Scientific research

Pristine Seas team members have collectively published more than 200 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals ranging from Nature, Science Advances, PLOS One and more.

Leveraging world-class expertise

Pristine Seas is made up of a unique team of scientists, conservationists, filmmakers, and communication and policy experts working together to help protect the world’s ocean.

Executive Director

National Geographic Explorer in Residence and Pristine Seas Founder

Enric Sala

Enric Sala is a former university professor who saw himself writing the obituary of ocean life, and quit academia to become a full-time conservationist as a National Geographic Explorer in Residence. He founded and leads Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration, research, and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 26 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of more than 6 million square kilometers. He has earned numerous honors for his work, including 2008 World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader, 2013 Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award, 2013 Environmental Media Association Hero Award, 2016 Russian Geographical Society Award, 2018 Heinz Award in Public Policy, 2021 Prince Albert I Grand Medal, and 2021 National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Sala earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Barcelona and a Ph.D. in ecology from Aix-Marseille University, France.

Business Operations

Patrick Hare
Senior Director
Sam Mandl
Operations Manager
Siena Inaba
Coordinator

Expeditions

Mike Barnaby
Field Specialist
Doug Simpson
Sydney McDonald
Manager, Expeditions
Paul Rose
Expedition Leader
Ryan Jenksinson
Field Specialist

Research

Molly Timmers
Marine Ecologist
Dr. Alan Friedlander
Chief Scientist
Whitney Goodell
Marine Researcher
Enric “Kike” Ballesteros
Marine Ecologist
Juan Mayorga
Marine Data Scientist

Media

Brian Newell
Senior Editor
Alex Verville
Senior Producer
Manu San Félix
Underwater Cinematographer
Liz Flamenbaum
Production Manager
Tess Goldhagen
Producer I
Steven Spence
Producer II
Jon Betz
Director of Photography
Scott Ressler
Executive Producer
Sam Deleon
Producer

Policy

Dan Myers
Chief of Staff
Jenny Miller
Manager of Public Affairs
Courtney Lorey
Specialist
Alex Muñoz
Director of Policy, Latin America

Communications

Kirsten Weymouth
Senior Communications Director
Emily Kelly
Communications Manager
Emily Pitts
Senior Manager Communications

Latest stories

Our impact is often featured in the news. Here are some of the most recent stories about the work the Pristine Seas team is doing around the world.

About Pristine Seas

Since 2008, Pristine Seas has helped establish 26 of the largest marine protected areas in the world, covering a total area of 6.6 million square kilometers — more than twice the size of India.

With support from

FOUNDING SPONSOR

Blancpain

FUNDING PARTNERS

Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic Fund, Don Quixote Foundation, Inclusive Capital Partners Foundation, The Campbell Foundation, Waitt Foundation, Oracle, Dutch Postcode Lottery, LGT Venture Philanthropy, Philip Stephenson Foundation, Walmart Foundation, The Heinz Family Foundation, Beagle Foundation, Serventi Family Foundation, and other individual donors.

PAST FUNDERS

Allison Bennington, Brook Foundation, Jean and Steve Case, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, DAVIDOFF Cool Water, Roger and Rosemary Enrico, Helmsley Charitable Trust, Google, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Vicki and Roger Sant, and other individual donors.

Photo credits (from top of page): Manu San Félix, Ossie Michelin, SerrNovik/Getty/iStockphoto, Manu San Félix, Enric Sala, Ossie Michelin, Enric Sala (2)

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