2013 Annual Report Blue Ocean Institute 10Th Anniversary Edition
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2013 ANNUAL REPORT BLUE OCEAN INSTITUTE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION “Elephants and sharks might seem to have little in common. But the impulses to either conserve or destroy each are similar. We here at Blue Ocean feel compelled to call attention to the connections between those impulses. It takes a similar blind spot to kill a shark for just its !ns and to kill an elephant for just its tusks. The attitude is the same.” —Carl Sa!na Blue Ocean Institute | Dutchess Hall, Suite 137 | School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook University | Stony Brook NY 11794-5000 | www.blueocean.org | 631-632-3763 “Richard Reagan is one of the most passionate conservationists I’ve ever met, and he’s delightful company on the water, in the rare and cherished instances when I’ve been able to join him.” —Carl Sa!na “Ann is the most surprising, propelling force in my career, because a year before I’d even met her, Ann agreed to be the convener in a months-long effort to help me raise a million dollars. The ultimate goal: to meet a matching challenge by Stony Brook University. Because of Ann, it worked! We raised a million dollars in pledges and the university will match that million to create the Carl Sa!na Endowed Research Professorship for Nature and Humanity.” —Carl Sa!na Ann, center, with husband David, and daughters Jessica, Rachael and Emily, in the Galapagos Islands. Richard Reagan with a striped bass captured (and released!) off Montauk Point, NY. Photo by Richard Roach. P ROF I L E P ROF I L E RICHARD REAGAN ANN HUNTER-WELBORN A Life Filled with Loving and Protecting Nature Instrumental in Creating Endowed Professorship and Supporting Pilot Program to Restore Colorado River Delta “Life is best lived wet” might be an apt credo near Carl’s cottage on the bay. Heaven, and He explains, “The niche we worked toward for Blue Ocean board member Richard Reagan. again, right in nature.” and which seems to me, at least, exquisite The natural world is a centerpiece for his life— in its simplicity, is to become the ‘True-Value’ Reagan recently retired as President of the personally and professionally—and all things hardware store of environmental grant-making. Perhaps it’s no surprise that lifelong philanthropist Since 1994, Hunter-Welborn has served as Chair About Hunter-Welborn, Safina says, “The Norcross Wildlife Foundation (NWF) after a marine and riparian run through it. Thus, if an NGO needs tools to accomplish Ann Hunter-Welborn—indefatigable by nature— of the Board of Directors of this global company. Carl Sa!na Endowed Research Professorship tenure of 19 years. The work began formally in good conservation work of any kind, we like has spent a career in a family irrigation business One project clearly illustrates her in#uence. Most at Stony Brook University would not have “I spent all of my childhood summers on Fair!eld 1977 when he was elected as a Life Trustee on to support that—and cost-effectively, too. Our that connects people with water. Surrounded by people know how Western states rely on the happened without Ann’s dogged persistence Beach, CT where my grandfather built a house the NWF board. His tenure was preceded by grants average around $3,500-$5,000, and scientists and engineers, she has combined her Colorado River. The delta of this once mighty and incredible good faith. Prior to working on that still stands,” Reagan explains. “It was, for many visits to the Foundation’s then-2,200-acre function just like buying a carpenter a good love of philanthropy with systems and tools that river has shrunk by more than 90 percent due to the Professorship, Ann had seen me give a a kid in the 40’s and 50’s, a magical place in Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary, in Monson, MA. set of tools to build houses that some other promote growth of all kinds. dams and diversions upstream, and is sustained talk—but we did not meet then. We became the natural world, which we absorbed by “It’s a breathtakingly beautiful and truly wild by only a trickle from agricultural return #ows, friends on e-mail and on the phone. Eight Foundation will pay big bucks for. Thousands “Hunter Industries,” Hunter-Welborn explains, literally getting wet: swimming, boating, !shing, refuge for all manner of wildlife. When I began of computer gizmos, boats, motors, vehicles ef#uent and canal seepage. The river itself rarely months after we got all the pledges signed, I clamming, shell-gathering; and watching the “was the brain-child of my brother Paul, and running the Foundation in early 1989, I felt that reaches the Gulf of California. Hunter-Welborn is !nally met Ann and her husband. As you can and rakes and shovels, too, have been funded when I joined the business in its !rst year, I never dramatic weather changes, including hurricanes. all the Sanctuary really needed was, !rst, more by NWF.” helping to restore the delta, and helping to fund tell, they are amazing, amazing people doing an So, saltwater is in my veins. Freshwater, too, dreamed it would consume me for the rest of science in terms of forest management, and, the Sonoran Institute’s pilot restoration project, incredible amount of good in the world.” along the deep woods that were our playground The Foundation also has a successful interest- my life!” second, lots more acres,” Reagan says. which includes a bird observation area and a When asked what sparked her passion for in northern Westchester County in the 50’s.” free, land-loan program, availed by mostly local She adds, “I’ve learned that having employees community park. First-year activities restored Under Reagan’s direction the Sanctuary land trusts faced with dire need and no money. this professorship, she replies, “I read Carl’s It didn’t end in childhood, though, as Reagan is a huge responsibility, and part of that !ve acres of riparian habitat along the river. books—all of them—long before I actually met expanded to over 11,000 protected acres by “We give them up to $250K for a year, interest- responsibility is to contribute to the betterment adds, “The past 20 years have found my family the mid-nineties. Its active programs included free, and to date have helped them save a total Ann and her husband David are both involved in him. In many ways, they changed my life. I have enjoying the deep woods and watery habitats of the communities where our employees live. I public visits, year-round school, scout and international conservation efforts. They serve on been near to and loved the ocean all my life, of over 50,000 acres across the country; we’ve believe that business can and should contribute on the upper Delaware, where we have a home adult education classes, internships, intensive never had a default.” the board of Nature and Culture International, but seeing it through Carl’s words changed rescued from tear-down right on the river; we’ve to the good of the planet, making a pro!t with propagation and distribution of native a non-profit that has worked for almost two me. I’ve always been grounded and earthy, but been #ooded, but not disastrously, four times Reagan and his wife, actress/author people and planet always in mind. That’s the joy wildflowers, ferns, etc., and managing wild decades to protect some of the world’s most he awakened in me a deeper love for the natural so far. What the hell, we’re in nature. Warm- Sonia Manzano, live primarily in New York I’ve found in being in business all these years.” habitat with a “light” hand. vulnerable ecosystems. world. I now see the entire planet through a weather months !nd me out east in and around City and enjoy the urban wildlife of the much more spiritual lens. I chose this goal Montauk, !shing obsessively and staying right Reagan also helped the Foundation establish a Upper West Side. ■ because he asked me to!” ■ workable “niche” for its grant-making program. 2 2013 BLUE OCEAN INSTITUTE 2013 BLUE OCEAN INSTITUTE 43 TABLE OF CONTENTS FRONT COVER FOUNDER’S MESSAGE Killer whales traveling near shore along central British Columbia, Canada. by Carl Sa!na 4 Photo by Carl Sa!na. These members of the “Northern Resident” 2013 YEAR IN R EVIEW 5 killer whale community range from Vancouver Island to Southeast Alaska. They are !sh- eaters, mainly salmon; their prospects rise and P ROF I L ES fall with populations of those !sh. “Southern Residents” range from Vancouver Island Ann Hunter-Welborn 2 south to Monterey, and with only 81 members overall, are classi!ed Endangered. Their main Jeff Rizzo 30 problems: declining !sh and rising toxic Richard Reagan 43 chemicals. They can live to be 50 to 100 years old. The only way to protect them is to give them back their clean water and their food. F EAT URES Blue Ocean Fellows Program 10 THIS PAGE Left: Humpback whale breaches outside Debra Abercrombie, Demian Chapman Alaska’s Glacier Bay. and Paul Greenberg Right: Sea otter, Alaska. Photos by Carl Sa!na. Looking Back: A Sustainable Seafood Movement is Born 16 Inspired by Blue 20 BACK COVER Top: Elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya. GYRE Expedition: What Goes Around Comes Around 24 Photo by Carl Sa!na. Below: Oceanic whitetip shark, Bahamas. Photo by Lance Jordan. ESSAY S An Oyster in the Storm 15 No Refuge: Tons of Trash Cover the Remote Shores of Alaska 27 Telling a Wider Story 29 M ISSION Blue Ocean Institute creates A B OUT BLUE O C EAN INST I T U T E an original blend of science, art and Milestones & Firsts 31 literature that inspires a deeper Making Waves 34 connection with nature, Blue Ocean @ 10 Campaign Highlights 38 especially the sea.