PARK CITY, Utah, Sept. 30, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Explorers Club has named OCEARCH Founding Chairman and Expedition Leader, Chris Fischer as one of six recipients for this year's Lowell Thomas Award. The 2014 Lowell Thomas award celebrates those explorers whose imagination and vision have inspired successful expeditions. Individuals were chosen for their achievements and exceptional contributions in the fields of exploration, scientific research, and who are dedicated to the principles of The Explorers Club.
Since 2007, Fischer has led 20 global expeditions to advance science and education while unlocking the many mysteries surrounding the life and history of white sharks and other giants of the oceans. He has facilitated millions of dollars in collaborative ocean research, supporting the work of over 70 scientists from more than 40 international and regional institutions.
There is still much work to be done. Fischer is currently planning four expeditions in Asia-Pacific area for the coming years. While enabling scientific field research and exploration, he is committed to open sourcing scientific data and providing dynamic educational content for future generations. Fischer and OCEARCH believe that modern day exploration, by leveraging technology to maximize inclusion, can be harnessed to create global scale and the political will to drive sustainable progress. "As we move to different regions in the world, we understand that connecting the people on land to the ocean is as crucial as any ground breaking discovery," said Fischer.
"It is an honor and humbling to be amongst those receiving this year's Lowell Thomas Award," acknowledged Fischer. "We could have never done this without the collective sacrifices and energy of our loved ones, our incredible crew led by Captain Brett McBride, an extensive list of the finest collaborating scientists and institutions, and the companies that supported us through it. These companies are supporting entrepreneurial model that is enabling one of the most ancient of arts, exploration." He adds: "The gatekeepers at those socially innovative companies like Caterpillar Inc. saw that modern day exploration in a selfless environment is noble and reflecting of the finest brands. Inclusion – being totally inclusive at every level is what will enable us to turn a charismatic research project into a global ocean movement."
Previous award winners have been: Carl Sagan, Ph.D. "Voyager Golden Records and SETI;" Louis Leaky, Ph.D. "Koobie For a Research Project;" Albert Yu-Min Lin, Ph.D. "Valley of the Khans Project;" and Sylvia Earle, PhD. "Mission Blue."
Fischer will receive the 2014 award at the Bowers Museum in Southern California on October 11, 2014 during the annual Lowell Thomas Award Dinner. This event is open to the public. More information can be found here and tickets can be purchased here .
ABOUT OCEARCH
OCEARCH is a non-profit organization with a global reach for unprecedented ocean-based research on apex predators such as Great White Sharks, supporting leading researchers and institutions seeking to attain groundbreaking data on the movement, biology and health of sharks to protect their future while enhancing public safety. The researchers OCEARCH supports work aboard the M/V OCEARCH, a 126' Cat-powered vessel equipped with a custom 75,000 lb. hydraulic lift and research platform, which serves as both mothership and at-sea laboratory.
OCEARCH expeditions, sponsored in large part by Caterpillar Inc. as part of a socially innovative multi-year partnership to facilitate data that is in turn shared on the Global Shark Tracker with the world for free - enabling students and the public to learn alongside PhDs. The Global Shark Tracker is a web-based near-real-time satellite tracking tool for sharks that will eventually be expanded to other species. Additional partnership support is provided by Costa Sunglasses, Contender, Yamaha, SAFE Boats, MUSTAD and Landry's Inc.
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