Tierney Thys

Tierney Thys was a marine biologist and science educator who studied the behavior of the Mola mola, or giant ocean sunfish. In studying the mola, she hunted for clues to the behavior of all life in the open ocean. With their enormous, odd bodies, peaceful habits and lust for jellyfish, these giants can be key to understanding life in the open ocean. Thys and her team tagged and tracked molas worldwide to learn about how they live, and how climate change may be affecting all ocean life.

Thys was a National Geographic Explorer with a passion for marine education. She was past director of research at the Sea Studios Foundation, a team of scientists and filmmakers that made media to raise awareness of environmental issues, including the PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth and targeted videos that influence policymakers and businesspeople. Sea Studios was also instrumental in helping eBay stop the trading of invasive species.