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Scripps Marine Ecologist Named National Geographic
Emerging Explorer
Mario Aguilera | February 12, 2007
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Enric Sala of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(Photo / Josep M. Llenas)
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Eight young, visionary trailblazers—including Enric Sala of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego—have been named to the 2007 class of National Geographic Emerging Explorers. Other winners include a polar adventurer, a former Sudanese "lost boy," a primatologist and a Congolese environmental hero.
National Geographic's Emerging Explorers Program recognizes and supports gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists, photographers and storytellers who are making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration while still early in their careers. The Emerging Explorers each receive an award of $10,000 to assist with their research and to aid further exploration.
Emerging Explorers for 2007 are: Sala,
a Spanish marine ecologist and conservation biologist,
of San Diego; humanitarian and former
Sudanese refugee Jon Bul Dau, of Syracuse, N.Y.; environmental
crusader and polar adventurer David de Rothschild,
of London; conservation scientist Luke Dollar, of
Concord, N.C.; tropical botanist Corneille Ewango,
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; primatologist
and conservationist Mireya Mayor, of Miami; musical
explorer and filmmaker Joshua Ponté, of London;
and filmmaker and globalist Roshini Thinakaran, of
Washington, D.C., and formerly of Sri Lanka.
Sala, 38, is a marine ecologist who fell in love
with the sea growing up on the Mediterranean coast
of Spain. Witnessing the harm people do to oceans
led him to dedicate his career to understanding and
finding ways to mitigate human impacts, such as overfishing,
pollution and coastal development. After obtaining
a doctoral degree in ecology from the University of
Aix-Marseille, France, Sala moved to the United States
where he became professor of marine ecology and conservation
at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Recently he joined Spain's National Council for Scientific
Research. Sala's research develops practical solutions
to improve the health of our oceans. His scientific
publications are widely recognized and used for conservation
efforts such as the creation of marine reserves in
Belize and the Sea of Cortes. He helped create the
Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at
Scripps Oceanography and an innovative multidisciplinary
program to train future leaders in marine conservation.
He is a 2005 Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, a 2006
Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation and a Wildlife Conservation
Society Research Fellow.
National Geographic Emerging Explorers may be selected from virtually any field, from the Society's traditional arenas of anthropology, archaeology, photography, space exploration, sociology, earth sciences, geology, mountaineering, cartography, education and history to the worlds of art, music and filmmaking.
"A key mission of National Geographic over
the past 119 years has been to support and chronicle
achievements of explorers and to sponsor their scientific
expeditions. The Emerging Explorers program identifies
and honors outstanding adventurers who are setting
out on promising careers. They represent tomorrow's
Edmund Hillarys, Jacques Cousteaus and Dian Fosseys,"
said Terry Garcia, National Geographic's
executive vice president for Mission Programs.
The new class of Emerging Explorers is introduced
in the February 2007 issue of National Geographic
magazine. A Web feature
at nationalgeographic.com/emerging includes comprehensive
profiles of the explorers and their activities.
National Geographic's Emerging Explorers are part
of the Society's Explorers Program, which includes
13 Explorers-in-Residence and four National Geographic
Fellows.
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