Specializing in marine mammals and coral reef ecology, Gale Mead has participated in expeditions to Australia, New Zealand, the Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, the Bahamas, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Madeira, and the coastal United States since 1975.

Currently a freelance writer and Web site designer, Mead has been published in both scientific and popular publications. Her Web-based publications include narratives on protected marine areas for National Public Radio and an overview of the effects of population on the marine environment for the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment. She is also the expedition log coordinator for National Geographic’s Sustainable Seas Expeditions.

Scientist Sylvia Earle, a National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence, has led more than 50 research expeditions, logged some 6,000 hours underwater, and served as chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Her publications, more than a hundred, range from scholarly articles to general-interest pieces. Among Dr. Earle’s articles are six stories for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine. You’ll find them listed in the Resources & Links section of our Sustainable Seas Expeditions feature.