Meet the Ocean Activists Using Their Own Money to Study the Seas and Combat Climate Change

“It’s our pantry, it’s our pharmacy and it’s our playground,” philanthropist Wendy Schmidt says of the ocean. The former Silicon Valley businesswoman, who also happens to be an accomplished competitive sailor, has always had a seemingly unquenchable thirst to learn more about the seas. Though she has spearheaded multiple nonprofits to tackle other big issues, from human rights to renewable energy, a major focus of her work has been the deep blue.