Dr. Enric Sala was a lauded professor until he quit his job because, in his words, "I was doing was writing the obituary of ocean life."  Thus began his journey in ocean conservation which would lead him to found the Pristine Seas project and become National Geographic's Explorer-in-Residence. In this episode of Who's Saving the Planet we discuss Dr. Sala's transition from the halls of academia to the (maritime) trenches of activism, his ongoing fight to preserve the aquatic wilderness, and how humans have disrupted the interconnected harmony of nature. 

The Pristine Seas project began in 2008 as an idea: what if we could protect 1/3 of the ocean from exploitation, commercial fishing, pollution and, really humans?  Unsullied, wild parts of the ocean are fast becoming extinct, but all the more important to protect because "these unique ecosystems are a window into the past, revealing what the ocean looked like before overfishing and pollution took their toll. It is essential that we let the world know that these places exist, that they are threatened, and that help is needed to protect them." 

In what he describes as his "loveletter to the planet," Dr. Sala has encapsulated the lessons he's learned (and taught) about human's relationship with the natural world in his forthcoming book, The Nature of Nature. The hardcover comes out August 25, and we'd encourage you to look for it at your local bookstore!