BLUE Ocean Film Festival has named Dr. Carl Safina as recipient of the 2010 Sylvia Earle award. The award is given annually to people who have shown outstanding advocacy for the worlds oceans. Dr. Safina has written five books about the nature of our relationship with nature, and is president of the Blue Ocean Institute. The award will be presented at a ceremony to be held at the Golden State Theater, Monterey, California on 28 August during the BLUE Ocean Film Festival.

BLUE Ocean Film Festival today named environmentalist Dr. Carl Safina the recipient of the 2010 Sylvia Earle Award. Dr. Earle will present the award August 28 at the festival’s BLUE Carpet Awards Ceremony. BLUE Ocean Film Festival is a one-of-a-kind film industry and community event bringing together films, filmmakers and leaders in ocean research and conservation.

Carl Safina’s writing explores the scientific, moral, and social dimensions of our relationship with nature. His writing has been awarded such distinctions as New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Los Angeles Times “Best Nonfiction,” Library Journal’s “Best Science Book,” Lannan Literary Award, John Burroughs Medal, the National Academies’ “Year’s Best Book for communicating science.” Safina is a recipient of the Pew Scholar’s Award in Conservation and the Environment, Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo’s Rabb Medal, and a MacArthur prize, among many other honors. He is an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University, and founding president of Blue Ocean Institute.

Honoring her long legacy of groundbreaking achievements as a deep-sea explorer, noted marine scientist, accomplished underwater filmmaker, renowned author and tireless ocean advocate, the award was presented to Dr. Earle in 2009 and carries her name. BLUE and Dr. Earle have joined forces to present this special achievement award for outstanding ocean advocacy.

BLUE’s Global Advisory Board was charged with selecting this year’s recipient. Award guidelines specified the nominees should be individuals whose work has made important contributions in one or more of the following categories: ocean science, issue awareness, educational outreach, conservation advocacy, effective policy implementation, public engagement in ocean conservation and sustainability, grass roots action and tangible results in preserving ocean health.

The BLUE Carpet Awards Ceremony will take place 6:30 pm August 28 at the Golden State Theater in Monterey, CA. Winning films in 19 categories will be honored, selected from more than 85 of the world’s best ocean films screened during the festival.

BLUE Ocean Film Festival’s presenting sponsor is Monterey Bay Aquarium. Other lead sponsors include Cannery Row Company, Amphibico, Scott Hanson Studios, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Make a Difference Media, Code Blue Foundation, Google, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Portola Hotel & Spa, City of Monterey, Disneynature, MacGillvray Freeman Foundation, Monterey County Weekly, ImmersionOOH, Light & Motion, PADI, National Ocean Service, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, FootageSearch/OceanFootage, Backscatter, Power Bottles USA, Center for Environmental Filmmaking, Pebble Beach Company, Sea Studios Foundation, KUSP, Oceana, International League of Conservation Photographers, Sanibel Sea School, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, Lighthouse Cinemas, Shark Research Institute, National Geographic, ARKive, SeaWeb, Center for Ocean Solutions, Thank You Ocean and The Inns of Monterey.