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The Sea Save Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. Executive Director, Georgienne Bradley spearheaded the launch of Costa Rican Marine Imaging Project (CRMIP), in 1995. This highly successful precursor of the Imaging Foundation recognized a strong need for marine-related educational programs in Costa Rica. Using creative solutions CRMIP was able to execute several national educational programs with little funding.
1. Documented the shark finning practices at Cocos Island; presented our findings to Costa Rica President Figueres and the Minister of Natural Resources, Alvaro Ugalde. The images were published throughout the Costa Rican press and influenced a positive vote several weeks later that expanded the protected areas around Cocos Island National Park.
2. Partnered with the government of Costa Rica and assisted in the development of the successful petition for Cocos Island’s inclusion in the prestigious list of United Nations World Heritage Sites. (The first petition submitted was rejected.) Our images illustrated the importance of the underwater and land animals resident to the island. We accompanied the United Nations delegation to Cocos Island, and the petition was accepted. Cocos Island is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. Developed a series of postage stamps with the Costa Rican Postmaster General illustrating the beauty of the Pacific and Caribbean underwater areas of Costa Rica. This series sold out faster than any other in Costa Rica’s history and was lauded by the Costa Rican press, as well as international magazines such as The Pacific Rim and the Cousteau Society’s publications.
4. Designed an innovative year-long campaign that utilized the widely popular Costa Rican lottery system as an educational tool. We knew that these tickets were finding their way into virtually every Costa Rican household, giving us amazing access. Thus we designed a ticket that featured an image of a land or underwater animal every week. On the ticket’s reverse side, in Spanish, was a description of the importance of a healthy freshwater ecosystem to the livelihood of that species. This project stressed the importance of ecosystem interactions and the need to clean up the then-polluted freshwater areas throughout the Costa Rica countryside.
5. Developed a fourth-grade curriculum using our images and research to teach Costa Rican students about their underwater ecosystems and the need to protect them.
2017, Shark Week Platform Partner – Sea Save Foundation seeks new platforms and formats to deliver education and advocacy messages. Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” has a massive focused viewership interested in the ocean and marine animals.
2017, Official United Nations Attendee – Sustainable Development Goals – Under the Sea (SDG #14) – Building off of several years of successful negotiation as delegates at CITES, Sea Save Foundation has been invited to participate in United Nations’ conferences and meetings to advocate for specific ocean species and broad issues facing our oceans today. At these conferences, Sea Save Foundation representatives help influence delegates to commit to goal-oriented conservation efforts in their own countries and internationally.
2017, Geneva, Switzerland CITES pre-meeting and strategy session – Official attendees.
2017, #Get Trashy Launched – Get Trashy is a personal challenge that is intended to be a catalyst for individuals and groups to initiate clean up activities in their communities and post the results on Facebook and other social media forums. Sea Save Foundation will post videos asking people to do a personal trash pick up this week and to post a video or image of their outcome. The location, time, and scope is up to the activist, creating a more flexible approach to the traditional beach clean up. Posting resultant images or videos is a way to show outcomes and inspire others to do the same. In addition to the flexibility of choice about time and location, Get Trashy promotes making advocacy clean up of trash something that can be done weekly or as frequently as the individual desires. The individual flexibility and digital video posting opportunities makes Get Trashy this generation’s answer to the traditional beach cleanup.
2017, Urgent Action – Online Advocacy Tools -We created an online suite of tools that enables the general public to easily connect with their elected officials. These tools provide a valuable digital access point for those seeking to make a difference and make their voice heard. Since there are multiple alternative methods to influence policymakers in addition to online petitions, Sea Save Foundation can encourage people to utilize all effective means of contacting their representatives such as phone calls, email, and social media posts.
2016, Sea Save Foundation furthered our Discovery Channel Shark Week honors by being chosen as a Shark Week Partner Organization. Sea Save Foundation provided critical ocean conservation content to this huge audience.
2016, Official attendees for CITES in Johannesburg, South Africa – Successfully lobbied to get Silky and Thresher Sharks, Mobula Rays, Chambered Nautilus, Precious Corals placed under the protection of Appendix II. This limits international trade of these animals and increases scrutiny of the current population.
2016, The Plastic Pollution Coalition created a video “Open Your Eyes” that was incredibly effective at explaining what plastic microbeads are, their origin, why they are harmful to our environment, and why they should be banned. Sea Save Foundation was listed as the first partner of the Coalition in this video that has been viewed by over 60,000 people thus far.
2016, Costa Rica teenagers filmed themselves torturing and killing an endangered turtle. A video was sent to Sea Save leadership where we posted it on social media. Due to the graphic nature of this video clones of our original video were removed. We launched a petition demanding that Costa Rica bring these people to justice. Eventually, they were convicted and sent to jail.
2016, Government officials in Grand Cayman Island were going to dredge a critical area of the Georgetown coast. The installation of the planned pier would have made docking the large cruise ships easier but would have killed much of the world renown reef system surrounding the island. We were able to collect over 40,000 signatures from around the world and brought them to Grand Cayman where the document was presented to lawmakers. The plans to dredge were canceled.
2015, Sea Save Foundation supported the launch of the Whale Entanglement Team by sending key Sea Save team members to lend their boats and manpower to this critical effort.
2015, Sea Save Foundation Director Georgienne Bradley was honored with being chosen as one of Discovery Channel Shark Week’s first Finbassadors. The Discovery Channel Shark Week website had almost five million hits for Georgienne Bradley’s Shark Week Video.
2015, Sea Save Foundation director Georgienne Bradley was asked to speak about shark behavior on CNN, MSNBC, Fox, and other mainstream news outlets.
2015, Sea Save Foundation was delighted to support the creative efforts of Balinese SCUBA shops to reseed lost coral ecosystems on underwater Hindu statues. The reseeded corals are healthy, growing quickly, and fast becoming the foundation of a robust new marine community. The restored reef serves as a nursery for juvenile fish and will fund itself by attracting dive tour groups to the area.
2015, Supported the BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Conservation Summit We strongly believe in the BLUE Ocean Film Festival mission, “To use the power of film, photography, entertainment, and science to educate, empower and inspire ocean stewardship around the globe.” Film has always been an integral part of the Sea Save Foundation mission, so we are proud to support this effort as foundation patrons.
2015, “Ocean Week in Review” was launched. This weekly publication provides carefully vetted articles about the ocean in summary form. Research, laws, discoveries are all included. Links to original sources are included providing the reader with the ability to keep abreast of current ocean news in only a few minutes each week.
2014, Wins for Fins was created. This resource center enabled students, teachers and advocates to keep track of all shark protection legislation and private sector actions that were occurring around the world. Every positive “win” was marked by a hyperlinked pin on the international global map. Views could click the pin to learn more.
2013, Official attendees for CITES in Bangkok, Thailand. Successfully lobbied to get Porbeagle sharks, manta rays, oceanic whitetip sharks, and hammerhead sharks placed under the protection of Appendix II. This limits international trade of these animals and increases scrutiny of the current population.
2013, “Stand Behind CITES” Petition – When Japan, Yemen, Guyana, Denmark and Iceland decided not to adhere to the global CITES mandate to place marine megafauna under protection, we launched a petition calling on President Obama to invoke the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen’s Protective Act and thereby begin the process of applying trade sanctions against these countries.
2013, Dive for a Difference (D4D) was launched. Sea Save Foundation called on the army of SCUBA divers around the world to use their cameras to capture images that would showcase the beauty, record the behavior and stand witness to the destruction of global marine ecosystems.
2012, Shark Protection Public Service Announcement – First edition of the music video of “Big Blue Town” written and performed by Stephanie Quayle.
2012, Joined Costa Rica Coalition “El Frente” and successfully modified government structure to stop conflict of interest that hurt the national park service. Our primary objective was to protect Cocos Island.
2012, Launched the online cyber-publication “Voice of Cocos Island.” This gives a platform for all news about the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cocos Island. This includes discoveries, films, terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as threats such as climate change and poaching.
2012, Wave Rave was launched a global celebration and education day for oceans. Participants included dive clubs, schools, and families. Over 250 events were held worldwide.
2012, Give Em the Fin campaign was launched. The objective was to gather 20,000 images from the global community to protest against shark finning. Participants uploaded their symbolic images which were automatically inserted into a huge mosaic with one clear message “Say “no” to shark fin soup.
2011, Continued work with Cocos Island. Stayed on Island with national park guards, created equipment database and raised funds for equipment.
2011, Member of Plastic Pollution Coalition – Created PSA underscoring danger of single-use plastics.
2011, Worked closely with Assemblyman Paul Fong. AB- 376 Circulated petition that gathered over 20,000 California signatures. Presented to Governor Jerry Brown which was passed into law. This law makes it illegal to sell shark fins in California.
2010, Voice of America – Georgienne Bradley joins David Gibbons in a passionate overview of the work undertaken by the Imaging Foundation. As a scientist and executive director of Sea Save Foundation, she works between the critical Imaging Foundation projects and fundraising activities. Education and involvement of children have been a lifelong dream in this organization’s work. Georgienne Bradley talks to the essential nature of our oceans in maintaining the equilibrium of sensitive ecosystems and marine life. Listen to interview here
2010, November 4– The name of our organization was officially changed to “Sea Save Foundation”.
2009, Joined Facebook and started our social media outreach campaign.
2008, June – Kona Scholar’s Expedition – second student expedition. In June 2008, seven young women arrived in Kona, Hawaii to learn about diving, underwater video, and themselves. Their work consists of diving, animal location, video, shooting, and editing.
2007, October – A select group of female scholars met in Cayman for a seven-day program. This trip offered students the chance to SCUBA dive, to learn about the art of underwater documentary production and to launch their own initiatives.
2007, October – Cocos Poaching Expose – “Cocos Island Poaching” production. First documentation leading to presentation to Costa Rican press about the threats that poaching, shark-finning, and illegal fishing pose for Cocos Island. Visit Page
2007, August – Cayman Scholar’s Expedition – A select group of female scholars met in Cayman for a seven-day program. This trip offered students the chance to SCUBA dive, to learn about the art of underwater documentary production and to launch their own initiatives. Visit Page
2007, August – Myspace.com/Imagingfoundation – An idea launched by the Cayman Scholars became a reality with a generous donation from Pearse Street Consulting, Inc. This online community is used to discuss current topics and currently has over 25,000 friends.
2006, November – Creative Solutions for Environmental Problems is produced: Rocco, The Cocos Island White-tip Shark. Shark biology and the effect of sharks on the surrounding ecosystems is presented in this production. Viewers learn about the critical importance that protected corridors play in the success of marine protected areas. This production is the precursor to our continued efforts in the protection of Cocos Island. Visit Page
2006, September – First Imaging Foundation expedition internship.
2006 – Executed expeditions to Galapagos, North Sulawesi, and Cocos Island.
– Imaging Foundation was offered the loan of a Sony HDW F900 high definition camera and Amphibicam Housing for all future productions.
2006, January – First educational podcast and classroom production: The Cayman Project. Produced the first episode of Creative Solutions for Environmental Problems: – Survival of the Sea Turtles – which discusses the turtle’s life cycle and their threatened status. It also portrays a clever solution that seems to be “turning the tide” for these reptiles. Visit Page
2005, November – Cocos Expedition – Graphed scientific data that had been collected at Cocos Island over a ten year period and made this information available to everyone via the Imaging Foundation website. Graphs showed a direct effect of water temperature on population numbers as well as predator-prey population correlations.
2005, August – Tonga Expedition – Developed the only website dedicated to the plight of Pacific Humpback whales. Joined by volunteers from The World Bank and various other professions, we created a site that showcased the economic importance of whales tourism versus the short-term value of the whaling trade. Special – kids – section explains the natural history of the humpback.
2005, February 1 – Name
2005, January – Launched our first website.
2003, November 17 – Sea Save Foundation was officially endorsed as a 501 (c ) 3 nonprofit organization. The original name was “International Marine Imaging Project”
Sea Save Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization EIN: 20-0403083. We received the GuideStar Platinum seal of approval in GuideStar’s Exchange program, meaning we have obtained their highest rating for transparency and legitimacy as an organization.
