Watching and recording the gradual dismantling of life, beauty, and diversity in our oceans is a torturous experience for scientists. Our oceans function as earth''s organs and our survival depends on their health. Yet in the last fifty years half of coral reefs have disappeared, only 10% of large fish remain and many species are at the brink of collapse. Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution - including 20 million tons of plastic entering the oceans yearly - and rising temperatures are continued threats. Even as the sense of urgency to save our oceans continues to grow, at the time we publish this book, an estimate of only 2% of all global philanthropic and charitable donations go to protecting the environment. Of this, only a tiny fraction go toward supporting and safeguarding our oceans. Brimming with spectacular, full-page photography of underwater scenes from the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic oceans and many seas, Call of the Blue tells the stories of positive, focused people who are working to save our oceans. The first book of its kind, Call of the Blue unites more than 100 modern-day explorers, sailors, free divers, filmmakers, lawmakers, and conservationists who talk about their lives, passions, and exploits on, in, or under the water.

Call of the Blue demonstrates how the efforts of individuals and communities can inspire and drive change. Notable contributors include United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, explorer and BBC presenter Paul Rose, Danish environmentalist and Director General of the IUCN Inger Andersen, French photojournalist and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Yann Arthus-Bertrand, and American marine biologist Edith Widder (to name only a few). Contributors include hardworking men and women from around the world including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, India, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ecuador, and more. Alongside these passionate and necessary voices, Philip Hamilton''s mesmerizing images of reefs, blue whales, saltwater crocodiles, manatees, sea lions, sailfish, penguin, mantas, jellyfish, turtles, sharks, pygmy sea horses, and more provide readers a glimpse of some of the world''s most stunning underwater locations, bringing into sharp focus all we are at risk to lose. Contributors: Agardy, Tundi (USA) Founder and Executive Director of Sound Seas Anderson, Inger (DENMARK) Environmentalist and Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Arthus-Bertrand, Yann (FRANCE) French photojournalist, author and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Ballesteros, Kike (SPAIN) Field naturalist based in Spain; part of National Geographic''s Pristine Seas scientific team Braungart, Michael (GERMANY) Chemist, environmentalist and co-founder of the ''cradle-to-cradle'' concept Brendl, Stefanie (USA) Shark conservationist and driving force behind the world''s first laws to ban the fishing, possession and trade in shark fins Broderick, Annette (UK) Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter Chakravarty, Sid (INDIA) Merchant sailor, skipper on ocean protection campaigns, including with Sea Shephard Côté, Isabelle (CANADA) Professor of marine ecology at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia Degelder, Paul (AUSTRALIA) Author, motivational speaker, former member of the Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diving Force and shark attack survivor Domingo, Regina (SPAIN) Founder of the Nakawe Project Ekins, Paul (UK) Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy at the Institute for Sustainable Resources, London Fernandez, Daniela (USA) Writer and speaker on ocean technology; founder and CEO of Sustainable Ocean Alliance Foster, Sarah (CANADA) Programme Manager for Project Seahorse Gill, Peter (Australia) Chief Executive of the Blue Whale Study Graham, Rachel (USA) Zoologist and founder of MarAlliance Godley, Brendan (UK) Professor of Conservation Science at the University of Exeter and co-ordinator of the Marine Turtle Research Group Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten (USA) Asst. Professor at Oregon State University and Director of the Science of Marine Reserves Project Guerrero, Michel (ECUADOR) Runs a diving centre; leads research on mantas through Fundación Megafauna Marina del Ecuador Hancock, Jim (UK) Marine biologist and co-founder of the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme Harasti, David (AUSTRALIA) Senior marine scientist based in the Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park; an expert on the endangered White''s Seahorse Harris, Alasdair (UK) Executive Director of Blue Ventures Heaney-Grier, Mehgan (USA) Champion free-diver, actress, conservationist and television presenter Herzing, Denise (USA) Founder and Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project Heupel, Michelle (AUSTRALIA) Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Institute of Marine Science; expert on the ecology and movement of sharks and predatory fish Higuera, Erick (MEXICO) Marine biologist, professional cameraman, award winning underwater filmmaker Hoyos, Mauricio (MEXICO) Specialist in the great white and hammerhead sharks of the Gulf of California Huang, Kevin (CANADA) A first-generation immigrant, who is helping the Chinese community in Vancouver, Canada move away from shark-fin soup and embrace sustainable seafood Humphrey, Conrad (UK) Ocean racing skipper, adventurer and environmentalist Iñiguez, Miguel (ARGENTINA) Founder of the Fundación Cethus; Argentine delegate for the International Whaling Commission Kerbox, Buzzy (USA) Professional surfer and waterman from Oahu, Hawaii and one of the pioneers of tow-in surfing Kizilkaya, Zafer (TURKEY) President of the Mediterranean Conservation Society Krestovnikoff, Miranda (UK) Zoologist, author and diver specialising in the coasts and marine life of the British Isles Lavers, Jennifer (CANADA) Lecturer in Marine Science at the University of Tasmania; expert on the impact of plastic pollution on seabird populations Marshall, Andrea (USA) Co-founder of The Marine Megafauna Foundation McCay, Bonnie (USA) Anthropologist and Emeritus Professor at Rutgers McComb-Kobza, Mikki (USA) Executive Director of the Ocean First Institute McMillan, Christie (CANADA) Co-Founder & Research Director at the Marine Education and Research Society Moloney, Nick (AUSTRALIA) First person to compete in the three great global sailing challenges - The Whitbread trophy, the Jules Verne trophy and the Vendee Globe Mortimer, Jeanne (SEYCHELLES) A conservation biologist based in the Republic of Seychelles Nedimyer, Ken (USA) Founder of the Coral Restoration O''Barry, Ric (USA) Former trainer of dolphins for the Flipper TV series; activist and campaigner against dolphin captivity Obura, David (KENYA) Director of CORDIO (Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean O''Shea, Owen (UK) Executive Director and Principal Research Scientist at the Centre for Ocean Research and Education Papastamatiou, Yannis (UK) Marine biologist; co-leads the Predator Ecology and Conservation Lab Pawson, David (NEW ZEALAND) Sr. Research Scientist Emeritus at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Payne, Roger (USA) Scientist, musician and founder of Ocean Alliance. Pierce, Simon (NEW ZEALAND) Co-founder of the Marine Megafauna Foundation Pola, Marta (SPAIN) Professor of marine biology and zoology at the University Autónoma of Madrid in Spain Pope, Frank (UK) Author, conservationist and Chief Executive of the research and conservation organisation ''Save the Elephants''; former Ocean Correspondent for The Times Psihoyos, Louie (USA) Photographer, Oscar-winning film maker and Executive Director of the Oceanic Preservation Society Ramírez-Mascías, Deni (MEXICO) Conservation biologist and Director of Whale Shark Mexico Robèrt, Karl-Henrik (SWEDEN) Cancer scientist and pivotal figure in the global sustainability movement Rose, Paul (UK) Explorer, television presenter, former Base Commander of the Rothera Research Station in Antarctica; Expedition Leader for the National Geographic Pristine Seas Expeditions Royle, Jo (UK) Expedition skipper and sea champion, campaigning for clean seas Sale, Peter (CANADA) Expert on reef fish and coral reefs, having worked in Hawaii, Australia, the Caribbean and the Middle East Samarra, Filipa (PORTUGAL) Lead Scientist on the Icelandic Orca Project Savage, Roz (UK) The first woman to row across the globe''s three great oceans Scott, Rebecca (UK) Marine ecologist at the GEOMAR Helholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany Sears, Richard (USA) Founded the Mingan Island Cetacean Study in Gulf of St.

Smith, Lauren (UK) Diver, photographer and shark biologist who runs Saltwater Life Smith, Richard (UK) Underwater photographer and expert on pygmy seahorses. Spalding, Mark (UK) Senior Scientist at The Nature Conservancy, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and Chief Science Advisor to the Government of the British Indian Ocean Territory Stevens, Guy (UK) Co-Founder of the Manta Trust and the Maldivian Manta Ray Project Sumaila, Ussif Rashid (CANADA) Director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit; the Ocean Canada Partnership at the University of British Columbia Swan, Robert (UK) Polar explorer, environmental leader and the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles Trubridge, William (NEW ZEALAND) World-record holding freediver Van Sebille, Erik (THE NETHERLANDS) Oceanographer at the University of Utrecht''s Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Whitehead, Hal (CANADA) Professor at Dalhousie University, who has studied sperm whales in the North Atlantic and Galapagos for over 40 years Whitehouse, Sheldon (USA) American lawyer, politician, Junior Senator for Rhode Island Wiener, Jean (HAITI) Founder and director of the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Biodiversity Woodring, Doug (USA) Co-founder of Ocean Recovery Alliance Varela, Leonor (USA) Actress based in Los Angeles who has been actively supporting global efforts to protect our ocea.