SeaLegacy

SeaLegacy
Name	SeaLegacy
Formation	2014
Founders	Paul Nicklen; Cristina Mittermeier
Type	Nonprofit organization
Purpose	Marine conservation; visual storytelling; policy advocacy
Headquarters	Vancouver, British Columbia
Region	Global
Leaders	Paul Nicklen (Co-founder); Cristina Mittermeier (Co-founder)

SeaLegacy is a nonprofit organization that uses photography, filmmaking, and storytelling to advance marine conservation, influence policy, and mobilize public support. Founded by conservation photographers and filmmakers, the organization collaborates with advocacy groups, research institutions, and media outlets to campaign for marine protected areas, species protection, and ocean policy reforms. SeaLegacy operates globally, engaging with Indigenous communities, scientific partners, and philanthropic funders to bridge visual media and conservation science.

History

SeaLegacy was established in 2014 by photographers and conservationists to elevate ocean issues through visual storytelling, building on prior work by founders with organizations such as National Geographic Society, Ocean Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and Pew Charitable Trusts. Early campaigns connected with high-profile events like the United Nations Conference on Climate Change meetings and the designation of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, leveraging collaborations with filmmakers who had worked on projects for BBC Natural History Unit, Netflix, Disney Nature, and Smithsonian Channel. The organization grew through partnerships with research programs at institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and Australian Institute of Marine Science, and by featuring imagery in exhibitions at venues like the Smithsonian Institution, Royal Ontario Museum, and Natural History Museum, London. SeaLegacy’s timeline includes advocacy during the expansion of Ross Sea protections, campaigns around Great Barrier Reef conservation, and engagement with policy debates tied to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Mission and Conservation Goals

SeaLegacy’s stated mission centers on protecting oceans through storytelling to drive policy outcomes, aligning with global initiatives such as the Convention on Biological Diversity targets, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and calls for a High Seas Treaty. Conservation goals include campaigning for expanded Marine Protected Areas, species-specific protections for taxa like gray whale, blue whale, humpback whale, sea turtle, and shark species, and ecosystem protections for regions including the Amazon Reef, Coral Triangle, Arctic Ocean, and Southern Ocean. The organization promotes Indigenous stewardship models exemplified by partnerships with groups like the Haida Nation, Māori, and Aleut communities, and supports scientific monitoring programs run by entities such as NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Australian Antarctic Division.

Expeditions and Projects

SeaLegacy conducts expeditions combining photographers, filmmakers, and scientists aboard research vessels and small craft, collaborating with programs like Mission Blue, Global Ocean Commission, Blue Nature Alliance, and national agencies including NOAA and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Notable project themes include seabird surveys in the Galápagos Islands, coral monitoring in the Coral Triangle, polar documentation in the Arctic Council and Antarctic Treaty System zones, and deep-sea exploration with partners such as Schmidt Ocean Institute and NOAA Ocean Exploration. Fieldwork has included tagging and telemetry in projects alongside Oregon State University, population assessments with University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and acoustic studies with Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Expeditions have been publicized concurrently with conservation initiatives like the establishment of Ross Sea Marine Protected Area, advocacy for the 30 by 30 biodiversity target, and campaigns targeting plastic pollution paralleling efforts by Ocean Conservancy and Plastic Pollution Coalition.

Photography and Media Campaigns

Visual campaigns leverage large-format photography, documentary films, social media activations, and exhibitions; collaborators have included media outlets and platforms like National Geographic, The New York Times, Time (magazine), Vogue, BBC, CNN, and Instagram. Projects aim to influence public discourse similarly to historic campaigns by Jane Goodall and Sylvia Earle, and contemporary visual conservation initiatives such as Paul Nicklen’s editorial work and partnerships with photographers who have contributed to Wildlife Photographer of the Year. SeaLegacy has produced short films screened at festivals like Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and Telluride Film Festival, and supported long-form productions for broadcasters including PBS and HBO. Media strategies include photobook releases, gallery shows in collaboration with institutions like Tate Modern, multi-platform digital campaigns with organizations such as WWF and Greenpeace, and grassroots mobilization through networks like 350.org.

Partnerships and Funding

The organization receives support from philanthropic foundations, corporate sponsors, and individual donors, engaging funding partners similar to The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Oak Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Skoll Foundation. Strategic partnerships have included alliances with conservation NGOs such as Ocean Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Blue Nature Alliance, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Marine Conservation Institute, and collaborations with research organizations including Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. SeaLegacy has worked with Indigenous governance bodies and local NGOs in regions like the Pacific Islands Forum and the Caribbean Community to advance community-led conservation and sustainable tourism initiatives, and has engaged corporate partners in responsible practices aligned with standards promoted by groups like Science Based Targets Network.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

SeaLegacy was co-founded and is led by prominent conservation photographers and filmmakers who previously worked with institutions such as National Geographic Society and International League of Conservation Photographers. Leadership includes executive directors, creative directors, and advisory boards drawing members from academia, conservation policy, and media, with advisors affiliated with universities and institutes like Stanford University, University of British Columbia, University of Oxford, Yale University, and University of Cambridge. Operational teams coordinate field logistics with partners such as Schmidt Ocean Institute and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and legal counsel aligned with international policy actors involved in United Nations negotiations. Governance follows nonprofit standards and engages audits and reporting practices consistent with funders like MacArthur Foundation and compliance frameworks used by organizations such as Charity Navigator.

Category:Non-profit organizations