David Guggenheim

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5 out of 5

Marine Scientist, Ocean Explorer, Conservation Policy Specialist, Author, Environmental Educator, President & Founder of Ocean Doctor

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Washington, DC, USA
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David Guggenheim Biography

Dr. David E. Guggenheim is a marine scientist, conservation policy specialist, ocean explorer, submersible pilot, award-winning author and educator. He is Program Coordinator, Lecturer and Academic Advisor for the Master’s programs in Environmental Sciences and Public Policy and Energy, Policy and Climate at Johns Hopkins University – Advanced Academic Programs, where he authored and teaches the course, "Ocean Stewardship and Sustainability." He also teaches Science Communication and Policy Engagement, Environmental Policymaking and Policy Analysis, and a field course to Cuba to explore coral reefs, forests, agricultural areas and engage with local scientists, farmers, etc. He is the founder and president of the Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization Ocean Doctor, dedicated to advancing the conservation of the world’s oceans through scientific research, education and community engagement. Guggenheim has a fervent commitment to environmental education and is halfway through a journey to all 50 states to educate K-12 students about the oceans, conservation and careers in science.

Guggenheim has worked in Cuba for more than 20 years leading collaborative research and conservation efforts in Cuba focused on coral reef ecosystems. His 2022 book, "The Remarkable Reefs of Cuba: Hopeful Stories from the Ocean Doctor," details his two decades of experiences in Cuba, working in collaboration with Cuban scientists to explore that country’s unique underwater ecosystems and to understand why the world has lost half of its coral reefs while they continue to thrive in Cuba. As an ocean explorer, Guggenheim piloted the first manned submersible dive into the world’s two largest underwater canyons, which are located in Alaska’s Bering Sea. He was inducted into the Explorers Club as a National Fellow in 2008. His 2013 documentary, "Disaster at Nightingale," details a disastrous oil spill in a remote island group in the South Atlantic that killed thousands of penguins.

Guggenheim is an accomplished public speaker, frequently invited as a keynote speaker at major national and international conferences and events for nonprofit organizations, industry associations, schools and universities, and governmental organizations. Based on his wealth of public speaking experience, he authored the 2023 book "Public Speaking – From Competent to Captivating." He has testified before Congress and international governmental bodies, including the Scottish Parliament. He regularly appears on television and radio, having appeared on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, PBS Newshour and NPR among others and has been featured in a wide range of print media, including the New York Times.

In addition to his conservation work, Guggenheim is an award-winning professional photographer. His work ranges from underwater wildlife to fine art studio photography, fashion and portraiture, spanning the Antarctic, the Falkland Islands/Malvinas, Cuba, Alaska, Russia, the Middle East and beyond.

Guggenheim previously served as Vice President at The Ocean Conservancy, President & CEO of The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Co-Chair of the Everglades Coalition, President of the Friends of Channel Islands National Park and Chairman of the Board of the Great Whale Conservancy. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University in Virginia, a Master’s in Aquatic and Population Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master’s in Regional Science and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/22/2024.

David Guggenheim Speaking Topics

  • Which Fish Should I Eat? The Future of Fish, Our Health and Our Oceans

    Industrial fishing is one of the most destructive forces impacting the oceans today. By shifting their consumption to sustainably-caught or sustainably-farmed fish, consumers have the power to make a difference. But choosing the right fish to eat is difficult for the consumer, either from a conservation or a health perspective. We hear eating fish is good for you, but eating too much can be harmful due to mercury and other contaminants. Dr. Guggenheim simplifies these complex issues, provides easy-to-follow guidance and gives a peek at the future of fish: land-based, high-tech sustainable fish farms.

  • Lessons from the Gulf: The BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster

    What have we learned from the BP disaster? See the events of the disaster unfold through the lens of the conservation community, working to prevent a major international incident with Cuba, organizing the scientific community against the use of chemical dispersants, and working to help communities in the Gulf recover. Are we ready for another blowout? And what about the Arctic? Dr. Guggenheim’s work in the Gulf has been featured on Good Morning America, MSNBC and PBS Newshour.

  • Climate Change & Our Oceans: What's at Stake?

    The world is warming rapidly. What is in store for our oceans and what does it mean for us? Equally serious yet getting very little attention is climate change’s “evil twin” — acid oceans — and why the end could be near for most of the coral reefs on earth this century. The presentation includes excerpts from Dr. Guggenheim’s testimony before the Scottish Parliament. It also examines reasons for hope in Cuba and learn how we all can work together to solve the problems caused by these terrible twins.

  • Disaster at Nightingale: How Tragedy Found the World's Remotest Island

    In 2011, Dr. Guggenheim was a lecturer aboard the MS Prince Albert II, transiting from tip of South America to the tip of South Africa, and witnessed the worst environmental disaster of his life. A soybean bulk carrier slammed into Nightingale Island, part of the most remote inhabited island group in the world, Tristan da Cunha. He produced a 25-minute documentary, Disaster at Nightingale, which premiered in 2013, detailing this disaster and how it killed thousands of endangered Northern Rockhopper penguins. The film has started an important conversation in Washington, DC and elsewhere about the risks to remote places around the world that harbor some of the planet’s most treasured wildlife. Dr. Guggenheim will present the film, discuss its production and ongoing efforts to save penguins in the South Atlantic and around the world.

  • Beneath the Deadliest Catch: The View from 2,000 Feet Below the Bering Sea

    Take a ride in the DeepWorker submersible and learn how to pilot this amazing little sub. Dr. Guggenheim provides a brief history of ocean exploration, some other notable submarines, and then takes the audience on a journey to Alaska’s Bering Sea to explore deepwater corals living at 2,000 feet — the oldest animals living today. Dr. Guggenheim piloted the first manned submersible dive into the largest underwater canyons in the world: Pribolof Canyon and Zhemchug Canyon, both in the Bering Sea. Dr. Guggenheim will discuss how important deep sea ecosystems and corals are, how they are being destroyed by the ton and why exploration of the deep, dark waters of the world holds the key to their survival.

  • A Living Time Machine: Cuba's Spectacular Ocean Ecosystems and the Hope They Offer the World

    Guggenheim directs Cuba Conservancy — an Ocean Doctor Program, and is in his 14th year leading research and conservation efforts in Cuba focused on coral reefs, a joint effort with the University of Havana. His work was recently featured on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper, on the PBS Nature series and on NPR. In a world of corals dead and dying, Cuba’s marine ecosystems are spectacularly healthy, a Jurassic Park-like experience teeming with endangered species seldom seen elsewhere in the Caribbean, including bountiful sharks and grouper. We visit Gardens of the Queen, named by Christopher Columbus 500 years ago to honor Queen Isabella — truly a living time machine — and explore why this area is so healthy and what the implications are for ocean ecosystems around the world

David Guggenheim Videos

  • Speaker, Ocean Explorer and Conservation Leader, Dr. David E. Guggenheim
  • David E.Guggenheim Interview on i24 News Morning Edition, Tel-Aviv

David Guggenheim Books

  • The Remarkable Reefs Of Cuba: Hopeful Stories From the Ocean Doctor
    The Remarkable Reefs Of Cuba: Hopeful Stories From the Ocean Doctor
  • Public Speaking-From Competent to Captivating: How to Be a Better Public Speaker and Overcome Your Speaking Anxiety, Fear and Overthinking (Effective Communication & Social Skills Books)
    Public Speaking-From Competent to Captivating: How to Be a Better Public Speaker and Overcome Your Speaking Anxiety, Fear and Overthinking (Effective Communication & Social Skills Books)

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  • What topics does David Guggenheim speak about?

    David Guggenheim is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Animals & Wildlife, Biology, Conservation, Environment, Environmental Policy, Government, Non-Profit, Science, Sustainability.
  • Where does David Guggenheim travel from?

    David Guggenheim generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
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David Guggenheim is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Which Fish Should I Eat? The Future of Fish, Our Health and Our Oceans, Lessons from the Gulf: The BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster, Climate Change & Our Oceans: What's at Stake?, Disaster at Nightingale: How Tragedy Found the World's Remotest Island, Beneath the Deadliest Catch: The View from 2,000 Feet Below the Bering Sea and A Living Time Machine: Cuba's Spectacular Ocean Ecosystems and the Hope They Offer the World. The estimated speaking fee range to book David Guggenheim for your event is available upon request. David Guggenheim generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Natalie Kyriacou OAM, Vedika Bhandarkar, Diva Amon, Amali Tower and Douglas McCauley. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling David Guggenheim for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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