Emilie Reuchlin, a lifelong advocate for marine conservation and co-founder of the Doggerland Foundation, received Stanford University’s highest environmental prize, the Bright Award for Environmental Sustainability, during an October 8 ceremony at Stanford Law School. The evening event at Paul Brest Hall, which included a panel discussion about ocean conservation, marked the 13th anniversary of the award that was established through a gift from Stanford Law alumnus and lifelong conservationist Raymond E. Bright, JD ’59.

Reuchlin, who has spent nearly two decades fighting to protect and restore the North Sea’s fragile ecosystems, was selected for her leadership in efforts to protect and “rewild” the Dogger Bank, a critical marine habitat under pressure from decades of industrial activity. Her work combines marine science, legal action, and numerous imaginative approaches to ecosystem restoration.

The Bright Award is given annually to an individual making significant contributions to global sustainability, with recipients chosen from one of 10 rotating regions worldwide. Nominations are solicited through a network of regional experts and evaluated by a committee of Stanford Law faculty and students. The committee is led by Barton “Buzz” Thompson, Jr., JD/MBA ’76 (BA ’72), the Robert E. Paradise Professor in Natural Resources Law and a professor at the Doerr School of Sustainability, among other roles at Stanford University.

Thompson welcomed the attendees, including several members of the Bright family. He underscored some of the defining characteristics of the Bright Award: “This award is given to someone who has made a major contribution to sustainability and who is, to some degree, an unsung hero, not someone that you might read about daily in the New York Times, but someone who is making as large a contribution as anyone to the area of sustainability and where we hope that the award itself can help them continue to pursue their work.”

“The Sea Owns Itself”

In her remarks, Reuchlin described her journey from childhood encounters with marine animals to leading one of Europe’s most ambitious marine restoration efforts. She emphasized both the ecological importance of the Dogger Bank and the need to change how humans view and govern the ocean.

“The North Sea is one of the world’s busiest, where less than 1 percent is truly protected,” she said. “Like all oceans and seas, it faces the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Marine life has a right to exist; the sea owns itself. After the power men claimed to exploit the oceans comes a responsibility to restore them.”

Reuchlin outlined the core pillars of the Doggerland Foundation’s work: protecting threatened ecosystems through legal action, actively restoring lost habitats, and advancing political and legal recognition of the ocean as a living entity. She also highlighted the Foundation’s “School of Dogger Bank” initiative, which brings together artists, scientists, lawyers, and policymakers to reimagine humans’ relationship with the sea.

A Recognition with Ripple Effects

Reuchlin dedicated the honor to her family, colleagues, and “two particular pinniped pals” who inspired her early love of the ocean. Her remarks drew on decades of personal experience—beginning with an encounter with a rescued seal pup and continuing through legal battles to defend the Dogger Bank from destructive industrial activity.

She also noted that the award arrives at a critical time for the Doggerland Foundation’s efforts to launch its Rewilding Dogger Bank Seascape Program, which aims to rebuild shellfish reefs, restore predator populations, and create quiet zones where marine life can recover.

“We have had the science for decades to protect the great big blue,” Reuchlin said. “But facts alone won’t save us. We need stories, emotions, and connections that remind us we belong to the sea.”

Read More About Emilie Reuchlin

A Panel Discussion on Ocean Conservation

Following Reuchlin’s remarks, attendees heard a panel discussion on ocean conservation moderated by Deborah Sivas, the Luke W. Cole Professor of Environmental Law, director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Program, and co-director of Stanford Law’s Environmental Law Clinic, among other roles at Stanford.

Joining Sivas and Reuchlin on stage were Meg Caldwell, ocean conservation expert and former director and interim vice president for Environment & Science at the Packard Foundation; Jim Leape, co-director of the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and former director general of WWF International; and Fiorenza Micheli, chair of the Doerr School’s Ocean Department and co-director of the Center for Ocean Solutions.

Among other topics, the panel explored urgent challenges in marine conservation, the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas, and the “30×30” initiative to protect 30 percent of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030. The conversation closed on a hopeful note, as panelists reflected on the sources of their optimism for the future of the world’s oceans.

About Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School is one of the world’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education. Its alumni are among the most influential decision makers in law, politics, business, and high technology. Faculty members argue before the Supreme Court, testify before Congress, produce outstanding legal scholarship and empirical analysis, and contribute regularly to the nation’s press as legal and policy experts. Stanford Law School has established a model for legal education that provides rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and a focus on public service.