What was the spark over 20 years ago that put you on the road to being an activist for ocean conservation? Your parents were scientists - an archeologist and anthropologist - what was their influence? Further, why have the world's oceans been your focus as opposed to wildlife or global warming for example?

Ted Danson: When I was on "Cheers," I took my daughters to our local beach and we found that it was closed due to pollution. I couldn't explain to them how this could happen, so I've spent the last 20 years looking for answers. My parents instilled in me the importance of taking care of the earth in a way that combines science and spirituality - my dad was a scientist (an archeologist) and my mom was very involved in our church. We need to base our actions on science and facts while acknowledging our interconnectedness to each other. The cool thing about the oceans is that, yes, there are a lot of problems but we can fix them, we can protect over 70 percent of the planet; if more of us get involved and push for what are very doable changes in policy - based on science. I think that's really exciting and it keeps me going.

Read the entire interview from Hamptons Online.