SeaKeepers at the Clipper Round the World Race – Airlie Beach Stopover

From January 12th–15th, 2026, Melissa White, Director of SeaKeepers South Pacific, and Vicky Neild, Programme Manager for SeaKeepers UK, were in Airlie Beach for Leg 4 of the Clipper Round the World Race. SeaKeepers is the Marine Research Partner for the Clipper Race, a global sailing event that sees amateur crews complete one of the longest ocean races in the world while collecting valuable ocean data along the way. This stopover took place at Coral Sea Marina, a valued SeaKeepers marina partner and strong supporter of marine science and sustainability.

While in Airlie Beach, SeaKeepers organised an evening of science talks that brought together the Clipper Race community, local conservation groups, and marina partners. The evening opened with SeaKeepers Data Scientist Haley Davis, who introduced SeaKeepers and our citizen science initiatives, and shared how data collected by Clipper Race vessels is contributing to the Seabed2030 project by helping map the ocean floor in under-sampled areas. The talks continued with Cass Hayward, Manager of Reef Catchments’ Great Barrier Reef team, who spoke about current local projects focused on coral and seagrass restoration across the region. Karen Evans, Project Coordinator for Tangaroa Blue Foundation, followed with insights into their work preventing and removing marine debris, including Project ReCon, an innovative initiative repurposing satellite buoys to track and retrieve lost ghost nets.

During the stopover, SeaKeepers also joined the Clipper Race team and Coral Sea Marina for a seagrass-focused session with Reef Catchments, followed by a boat trip with Whisper Tours, the Whitsundays’ only fully electric tour vessel. The trip provided an opportunity to visit local seagrass meadows, learn about ongoing restoration work, and observe marine life firsthand, including several sea turtles. That evening, SeaKeepers attended the Clipper Race prize-giving event, which offered a great opportunity to meet and connect with the sailors. Overall, the Airlie Beach stopover was a valuable chance to strengthen relationships with two key SeaKeepers partners and highlight the importance of collaboration, community engagement, and on-the-water experiences in supporting ocean conservation.