Carl Safina Speaking Fee: $10,000 to $20,000

Carl Safina is an ecologist, author, and advocate whose work bridges science, ethics, and storytelling to deepen our understanding of the natural world. Born in Brooklyn in 1955, he developed an early fascination with animals—raising pigeons, training hawks, and exploring the coastal waters of Long Island. Witnessing the rapid loss of wild places around him sparked a lifelong commitment to conservation. Safina earned his Ph.D. in ecology from Rutgers University, focusing on seabirds and marine ecosystems. In the 1990s, he played a key role in reforming U.S. fishing policies and international agreements, helping to ban high-seas driftnets and reduce bycatch of endangered species. His efforts contributed to the passage of a United Nations global fisheries treaty and improvements in ocean wildlife management. As a writer, Safina is known for blending scientific insight with lyrical prose. His books include Song for the Blue Ocean, Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel, and Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. His work has earned numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim and Pew Fellowships, and literary awards from the Lannan Foundation, Orion Magazine, and the National Academies. Safina is the founding president of the Safina Center and holds the Endowed Chair for Nature and Humanity at Stony Brook University. He also hosted the PBS series Saving the Ocean, bringing stories of marine conservation to a broad audience. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic, TIME, and Audubon, among others. Today, Safina continues to explore the connections between humans and the living world, advocating for a more compassionate and sustainable relationship with nature. He lives on Long Island, New York, with his wife Patricia, their dogs, and a variety of feathered companions.