Silver Spring, MD – One of America’s leading ocean conservation advocates, Dawn M. Martin, and successful advertising executive and environmentalist, Larry Kopald, were named as the two newest members of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Board of Trustees.

“The ocean is in crisis and all of us must and can do something to help. Dawn and Larry are doers with a noted history of stepping up to the plate on behalf of the ocean. We are excited and very fortunate to have two tremendously successful experts who share our commitment and passion for ocean conservation and the need to support our national marine sanctuary system,” said Bob Talbot, Chairman of the Board for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Dawn M. Martin, a native of Southern California, currently serves as President and Chair of the Board of SeaWeb, a communications-based nonprofit organization that uses social marketing techniques to advance ocean conservation. She also serves as a Principal for the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) and on the advisory committee of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. As a leading ocean advocate and public policy expert for more than 20 years, Martin brings to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation a multi-disciplinary approach that builds on her skills as an attorney, policy analyst, strategic communications professional, ocean conservation expert and political strategist.

“It is an honor to be named as Trustee of the Foundation whose mission is to protect the most sacred places in US waters, our sanctuaries. The Foundation is the voice that inspires people to protect these underwater treasures for future generations. Their efforts have helped make our ocean more resilient to the many threats it faces and I am privileged to work with them.”

Larry Kopald, of Bel Air California, considered a leading brand architect, has spent over twenty years at some of the world’s leading advertising agencies largest companies. He has overseen advertising for such companies as McDonalds, Coca Cola, Oracle, American Express, Acura, United Airlines and Universal Studios.

Kopald has also been a leader in the environmental movement, working with environmental, scientific, corporate, and both NGO and governmental agencies involved in efforts to improve the planet and encourage more sustainable ways of operating.

Currently, Kopald works with leading experts in the areas of energy, climate change, sustainable supply chain operations, food production and distribution, management of resources, and provides strategic consulting to corporations on how to migrate into greener companies while benefiting both the bottom line and their brand equity.

"No one should have to be reminded of the importance of oceans. In terms of climate, biodiversity and as a source of food, medicines, recreation and transportation, perhaps nothing is more important, or more endangered. It's a great honor to join the Foundation’s efforts to create and support sanctuaries that enable the planet's greatest resource to remain healthy, viable, and productive. We have a long way to go to restore that ability, and marine sanctuaries are a proven mechanism for helping to do that,” said Larry Kopald.

‘’Dawn’s and Larry’s appointment to the board is invaluable as we seek creative ways to increase the Foundation’s resources in this tough economic climate and to communicate more effectively to policy makers, potential donors and every American about the vital role the ocean and our sanctuaries play in all our lives,’’ said Lori Arguelles, President and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is the private, non-profit partner to the federal National Marine Sanctuary System, managed within NOAA’s National Ocean Service. The 14 sites within the system protect special places in the ocean and Great Lakes, from the Florida Keys to the Hawaiian Islands, and from Lake Huron to the Gulf of Mexico. The Foundation supports sanctuary education and research programs and seeks to educate the public about how they can help protect and preserve them for future generations. For more information, visit www.nmsfocean.org.