Southsea Marina Angling Club's July Meeting

Overview

On July 2, 2025, The International SeaKeepers Society presented at the Southsea Marina Angling Club (SMAC) July monthly meeting. With a warm welcome from the club members, the evening began with an introduction to SeaKeepers and the various citizen science projects that local anglers and boaters can support. SMAC members can help to map the global ocean seafloor through the Seabed 2030 project by installing a small data logger onto their vessel’s navigational backbone that passively collects depth readings as they travel. Wildlife enthusiasts can become ORCA OceanWatchers and document their sightings of whales, dolphins, and porpoises across the UK coastline, identifying their hotspots of activity and areas in need of improved cetacean protection. In partnership with the University of Exeter, boaters can provide further insight into the distributions of humpback whales across the UK by completing a short survey to describe their local sightings, or lack of. Lastly, boaters are empowered to better protect the marine environment by participating in Eyesea, which enables real-time reporting and responses to marine pollution. Through data analytics, their efforts help to address maritime pollution, protect marine ecosystems, and unite communities for a cleaner, healthier planet. The session concluded with an overview of SeaKeepers’ Green Marine Programme, with particular focus on the recently released International Green Guide to Boating, which offers practical tips on how to practice greener boating and better protect the marine environment.

The International SeaKeepers Society presented at Southsea Marina Angling Club's July meeting to share more about the DISCOVERY Programme and encourage boaters to participate as DISCOVERY Vessels. SeaKeepers would like to thank Southsea Marina Angling Club for their hospitality, the opportunity to present to their members and their support of ocean science.