All life once rose from the ocean, and all life still depends on it today. From melting glaciers and rising sea levels to plastic pollution and overfishing, our common origin is in danger. This group of marine biologists, ocean advocates, and researchers of the local coastal ecosystem will venture into a discussion about how the ocean connects us—and what we can do to protect it.

Panel moderator Bodhi Patil is a UN-recognized, award-winning GenZ ocean-climate “Solutionist” and student-leader dedicated to planetary stewardship. He is the Founder & CEO of Inner Light, empowering a generation to build climate resilience from the inside out. As an ocean champion, he works to increase ocean justice, policy, investment, and action with a global community of young ocean leaders he co-created—Ocean Uprise.

Maximiliano Bello is an international ocean policy expert who has worked in the environmental arena for almost three decades to advance marine conservation priorities. Bello has worked with a wide array of international organizations including the United Nations and the UNFCCC. He was instrumental in securing protections for over 2.3 million square km of countries’ territorial waters.

Andy Mann is a renowned National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, Emmy-nominated director and 12-time Telly Award-winner who is driven by a deep passion to document and protect the world’s marine environments. As a founding member of SeaLegacy, his work plays a pivotal role in telling the story of our rapidly changing planet and inspiring critical change.

Daniel M. Palacios is a prominent marine biologist and oceanographer recognized for his research into the impact of environmental conditions on whale distribution and behavior. His work combines scientific rigor with innovative approaches to tackle pressing marine conservation issues. Additionally, Dr. Palacios is a long-term practitioner of the contemporary Japanese martial art, Aikido, known as 'the Art of Peace,' whose principles he incorporates into his daily life to foster more authentic connections.

Alannah Vellacott is a marine ecologist, science communicator, and ocean advocate with 14 years of experience working in marine research, conservation and education in The Bahamas and The Caribbean.

To find out more about the Twenty Summers x Atmos gathering: https://atmos.earth/what-we-gain-when...