2026 Seacology Prize Ceremony

Our 2026 Seacology Prize recipient is Anette Thomas Sanford, chief of Dominica's Kalinago Territory.

The Kalinago are the only Indigenous people of the Caribbean to maintain their institutions in their ancestral homeland. Once widespread throughout the region, their largest population now lives along the eastern coast of Dominica, in an area of dense forests, steep mountains, and beautiful river valleys. Unfortunately this fragile environment is under threat from unchecked resource extraction, carried out despite strong local opposition.

In 2024, Sanford was elected Chief of the Kalinago Territory, the first woman ever to hold the position in the community's recorded history. Also known by her Kalinago name, Arkuenani, she has been an outspoken defender of her people's sovereignty and the health of the fragile island ecosystems on which they depend. Recently she has emerged as a key leader in the opposition to a destructive quarry bordering the Kalinago territory at Deux Branches, which threatens an important watershed, Indigenous rights, and public health. Working with grassroots conservation movement Save Deux Branches, she has stood up to powerful interests to challenge the project and defend the legal, environmental, and human rights of the Kalinago and others downstream from the mining.

On Monday, October 12, we will present the 2026 Seacology Prize to Chief Sanford, in honor of her steadfast advocacy for the Kalinago and the preservation of Dominica's spectacular natural heritage. As always, the Seacology Prize Ceremony is free and open to the public, but space is limited so we encourage you to save your seat early. For those unable to attend in person, we will stream the event live on YouTube.

Learn more about Chief Sanford here.