30 Heroes Fighting to Save Our Oceans

Besides carving out a successful pop-music and film career, Panama-born Miguel Bosé is also a fervent ocean conservationist. Bosé, who is involved with Oceana, went on a conservation excursion off the island of Elba in 2006 to evaluate the status of marine life there. He also joined Oceana biologists in the Mediterranean looking for fishermen using “death curtains,” the massive illegal driftnets that catch and kill marine life indiscriminately, including dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles.

Afroz Shah was repulsed by the piles of garbage overwhelming the beach in his hometown of Mumbai. So he and a neighbor started cleaning the beach. Their efforts each weekend inspired others — school children, Bollywood celebrities, and politicians — to, in Shah’s words, make a “date with the ocean.” The United Nations cited Shah as one of its Champions of the Earth in 2016.

Sam Trammell from the movie “The Fault In Our Stars” and the fantasy series “True Blood” has also earned a Tony nomination for his work in “Ah, Wilderness.” One of his longest-running and most important roles, however, is his involvement in environmental causes. Trammell is a regular at Oceana events, raising funds, generating interest, and appearing in public service announcements.

Wife and husband Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen founded 5 Gyres Institute to address the mounting issue of plastic waste in our oceans. Gyres refers to the Earth’s five huge, swirling currents. These currents work like giant shredders, pulling in and spewing out water bottles, straws, and all manner of plastic garbage. This results in smaller plastic particles that blanket the oceans and are often consumed by marine life. The nonprofit institute estimates the amount of plastic at 269,000 metric tons. 5 Gyres advocated for a ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetic products and supports a foamfree campaign to educate people about plastic coffee lids.

Leonor Varela could stay busy with modeling and acting gigs that find her working with the likes of Wesley Snipes and Quentin Tarantino. But then there’s her passion projects, which include serving as a spokesperson for Oceana, Save the Whales, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and others. Her efforts include trying to protect the ecosystem around Easter Island and a call to ban whale hunting.