Nat Geo Announces 2012 Emerging Explorers

National Geographic has announced it's 2012 class of Emerging Explorers with 15 individuals being singled out for their unique contributions to their particular fields. The Emerging Explorer designation is given out on an annual basis to some of the best and brightest individuals who are breaking new ground while still in the early stages of their career, and it comes with a $10,000 award to assist them in their research.

Some of the amazing men and women who earned that distinction this year include underwater archaeologist Guillermo de Anda, who explores submerged caverns for remnants of the Mayan civilization, and Daniel Raven-Ellison, who is a so-called Guerrilla Geographer. Daniel uses unique and creative methods to get people to think more about the world around them. They're joined on the list by chemist Yu-Guo Guo, who has invented a more efficient way to power electric cars, and Krithi Karanth, a biologist who studies human-wildlife interaction in India.

As usual, the list of Emerging Explorers is diverse and impressive. Everyone on the list is doing interesting and important work that has the potential to shape our planet in the years to come. Simply reading about what these men and women are up to is very inspiring and thought provoking to say the least.

To check out the entire group of 2012 Emerging Explorers, click here.