Danni Washington is a TV Host, science communicator and ocean advocate.

Lewis’s driving aim is to help protect our planet’s threatened oceans. As an endurance swimmer, he is unparalleled. He was the first person to undertake a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world. He pioneered the first swim across the North Pole, the first swim along the length of the English Channel, the world’s highest swim, and even a swim under the Antarctic ice sheet. His passion to protect ocean life, combined with his commitment to justice, make him a powerful negotiator and facilitator of change. To date the Lewis Pugh Foundation has been instrumental in securing full protection for over 2 million km2 of the most vulnerable ocean, an area the size of Western Europe.

Minna Epps is the Director of IUCN Ocean team where she oversees the operations and development of the programme by seeking new strategic partnerships. She is very engaged in the Global Ocean Agenda participating in various management groups, boards and high-level networks. Minna has over 20 years of experience in international environmental work primarily in the marine field, with everything from fieldwork in Madagascar to policy work in Geneva. She brings her experience from the Marine Stewardship Council, European Commission, UNEP, WTO, as well as conservation NGOs. Minna is a marine biologist with studies from Imperial College, Rhode Island School of Oceanography and UC Berkeley. She is also a trained communications professional with vast experience in strategic communication and running campaigns.

The former award-winning journalist and author of the renowned book Silent Seas – the Fish Race to the Bottom was a member of the European Parliament from 2009- 2014 and appointed Sweden’s Minister of International Development Cooperation in 2014. She became a co-spokesperson of the Green Party in 2016 as well as deputy prime minister. Before she left politics in February 2021, she was minister for climate and the environment.

Ulisses Correia e Silva is the Prime Minister of Cabo Verde.

Ambassador Peter Thomson has served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean since 2017, in which role he is driving the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, to conserve and sustainably use the resources of the Ocean. He was elected to the serve as President of the General Assembly of the United Nations for its 2016-17 term. He was Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2010 to 2016, during which time he was President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS). He led the Fiji team of diplomats that in 2013 chaired the Group of 77 and China – the UN’s largest negotiating group, comprised of 133 developing countries. He was elected as President of the International Seabed Authority’s Assembly in 2011 and as President of its Council in 2015. Ambassador Peter Thomson is a founding Co-Chair of the Friends of Ocean Action and is a supporting member of the High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy.

Marina Silva is the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change of Brazil.

Valerie Hickey is the Global Director for Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy (ENB) World Bank.

Petita Ayarza is a Member of the National Assembly of Panama.

Michelle Bender is a Legal Consultant at Earth Law Center and Ocean Vision Legal.

Charlie Enright is a skipper. He was part of the 11th Hour Racing Team and was the winner of The Ocean Race 2022–23.

Carlee Jackson is the Co-founder of MISS Elasmo.

Carlos Duarte is Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor of Marine Science at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) and Senior Advisor in Environment and Sustainability to Red Sea Global.

As chair of The Ocean Race he is leading the work towards a “Universal Declaration of Ocean rights”, calling for the recognition of the inherent rights of the Ocean. Since 1973 The Ocean Race has been the toughest test of a team in sport, now it is also the worlds fastest ocean science fleet and education program for hundreds of thousands of children across the world. With over 35 years of Round the World Racing experience Richard Brisius is a passionate round the world sailor and Ocean advocate dedicated to the restoration and sustainability of our planet's marine ecosystems.