Mission Blue Makes Waves with PhotoShelter DAM

Founded by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is a global ocean conservation nonprofit dedicated to inspiring action to explore and protect the ocean, “as if our lives depend on it… because they do.” They do this through a global network of Hope Spots: the largest community-led marine conservation community. 

Telling that story to a global audience requires a lot of content. “Our communications team is responsible for sharing these stories and scientific insights with audiences around the world,” said Emily Davenport, Communications Director at Mission Blue. “We manage a large and growing library of photography, video, campaign assets, and media materials that help communicate the urgency, beauty, and importance of ocean conservation.”

The challenge: Keeping up with a growing library

With projects and partners spanning multiple regions, the Mission Blue team needed more than basic cloud storage. Before PhotoShelter, they relied on Dropbox and a server-based file management system. As their library grew, the gaps became harder to ignore.

Emily told us, “While those tools helped us store assets, they were not designed specifically for digital asset management, which made organizing, searching, and distributing files increasingly difficult as our library expanded… One of our biggest challenges has been efficiently organizing files and quickly responding to repeated media requests for similar assets.”

Finding a better home for their media

Mission Blue first heard about PhotoShelter through a trusted recommendation from a colleague’s previous organization. They needed a system built specifically for visual media, and one that could improve how the team managed files internally and responded to outside requests.

“PhotoShelter stood out because it offered a centralized system designed specifically for visual asset management, while also making it easier to respond quickly to media and partner requests.”

Emily Davenport, Communications Director at Mission Blue

Now, Mission Blue will have a trusted media library, making it easier for their team and partners to find and share the right content quickly.

“The work Mission Blue does to protect the ocean impacts all of us. It’s the kind of mission that deserves to be seen and heard,” said PhotoShelter CMO Christina Kyriazi. “We’re thrilled to support their team in getting more of those stories out to the world.”

Founded in 2005, PhotoShelter is a leading digital asset management (DAM) platform for marketers and creatives. Our AI-driven solution simplifies content collection, organization, and distribution. Trusted by global brands like the NFL, MLB, Purdue University, and Wendy’s, we securely manage over 6.7 billion assets and support nearly 100 million annual downloads.