SeaKeepers
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In March 2023, SeaKeepers launched its UK Office, marking a significant step forward in our mission to advance ocean conservation, research and education across the United Kingdom and Europe. Based in London, our UK Office is focused on expanding our global footprint and supporting SeaKeepers’ vision within the European yachting and academic communities.
At SeaKeepers, we believe in the power of collaboration and engagement. Through our global DISCOVERY Yacht Programme, yacht owners are invited to join us in supporting vital marine research, conservation and educational initiatives. You can contribute by offering your vessel’s time, engaging in citizen science projects or participating in our educational outreach events. Additionally, international academic research institutions seeking a platform for their work can submit proposals through SeaKeepers’ website portal.
Our UK Office serves as the bridge connecting the European community to our dedicated programming team at our US headquarters, offering science-at-sea and citizen science opportunities around the globe. Moreover, we provide educational outreach programs tailored specifically for the UK and European communities.
With the support of international offices and chapters, SeaKeepers will make a profound impact on our oceans and the world. Join us in our mission to safeguard the seas for generations to come.
“Research. Educate. Protect and Restore.”
Citizen science expeditions offer an opportunity for yacht and boat owners to get involved in smaller-scale marine research initiatives. These expeditions do not require scientists to be aboard, but they permit vessel owners and crew to participate in ongoing research projects which depend on the participation of non-scientists within the community. SeaKeepers' Citizen Science Programme is sponsored by RSA Insurance Group Ltd.
Sponsored By:
The Neuston Net Research Collective unites the academic world and the international yachting community in an effort to conserve and understand our oceans through scientific research. This unique collective spans a wide range of research topics with one common theme: they all utilize Neuston Nets. Neuston Nets are fine mesh nets often towed behind boats to collect samples of neustonic organisms, algae, plastics, plankton, seawater, and more. The National Oceanographic Centre’s Microplastic Sampling Project is a part of this collective. The goal of this project is to tackle pivotal questions surrounding microplastics in the ocean, addressing their fate, distribution, and ecological impacts.
This project is being supported by some notable figures within the yachting world. Mike Golding OBE and Andrea Golding will be participating in this project as they voyage through the Pacific islands including Tonga and Fiji, whilst also participating in a Scientist-Led Expedition with SeaKeepers in collaboration with Manta Watch NZ and the South Pacific Whale Consortium during part of their voyage.Yachtswoman Ella Hilbert will also be contributing to the Microplastic Sampling Project as she solo circumnavigates the Arctic, helping understand the effect and reach of human activity in such a fragile area of our planet.
The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project is a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). Seabed 2030 seeks to inspire the complete mapping of the world’s oceans by 2030, and to compile all the data into the freely available GEBCO Ocean Map. Seabed 2030 is formally endorsed as a Decade Action of the UN Ocean Decade. GEBCO is a joint programme of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and is the only organization with a mandate to map the entire ocean floor. Launched at the United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017, the project coordinates and oversees the sourcing and compilation of bathymetric data through its five data centers into the freely-available GEBCO Grid, to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor.
Only 25% of the ocean floor has been mapped to date. Mapping the seafloor can help us learn what resources are available on our planet and identify changes in currents that can indicate climate change. By understanding the shape of our ocean floor, we gain knowledge of geophysical drivers of ocean behavior.
Notably, Maiden, a vessel with a storied history of breaking barriers and empowering women all over the world, whose all female crew won the 2024 Ocean Global Race, achieving many firsts whilst doing so, had a data logger onboard throughout the race, collecting vital data for Seabed 2030.
Environmental DNA is shed by sharks and remains in the waters they traverse, meaning that it can be collected in water samples by Citizen Scientists and give indications as to their occurrence and movement patterns. This is useful as sightings of the elusive Mediterranean white sharks are rare, especially as they are critically endangered due to overfishing in their habitats. Information from this project will give researchers the opportunity to advance knowledge and understanding of their distribution and spatial structure. These operations will be crucial for developing conservation and management policies to protect the last strongholds of the Mediterranean white shark and other large pelagic mackerel sharks such as the shortfin mako and porbeagle.
SeaKeepers educational outreach is focused on marine wildlife, plastic pollution, sustainability practices, water contamination and more. SeaKeepers staff work closely with the yacht/boat owner or marine industry business to determine the appropriate type of participant group and outreach content, as necessary. Increasingly, an emphasis on green boating practices and highlighting emerging technologies that transition vessels from motor yachts to cleaner energy sources are included as part of the presentations.
SeaKeepers partners with the boating community to create targeted lesson plans that focus on a collaborative project. We have partnered with inspirational figures including The Maiden Factor Foundation, a global ambassador for the empowerment of girls through education, and Pip Hare Ocean Racing, a global ocean racing yachtswoman who was the 8th woman ever to finish the Vendee Globe.
SeaKeepers shares its mission of ocean research and conservation with local communities throughout the year. Our UK office is actively involved in multiple local events, particularly in London and across the south coast. SeaKeepers takes part in scientific seminars, educational events, beach cleanups, and marine industry functions.
Explore top-notch vessel management, sustainable choices, and impactful practices with the Green Marine Program. Our Sustainability Kit and Green Marine Program document equip you with strategic decision-making tools for eco-friendly boating, while SeaKeepers’ "A Green Guide to Boating" offers comprehensive advice for greener practices. Take the lead in reducing your footprint and creating positive change through simple, collective actions. Join us on the path of Green Boating excellence!
In order to continue building efforts in the United Kingdom that create local awareness and commitment to protection, conservation, and restoration of the marine ecosystem, SeaKeepers United Kingdom relies on the generosity of like minded individuals and corporations.
We welcome participation in all types of opportunities with SeaKeepers’ UK. Discover more about our DISCOVERY Yacht Program and contribute to the crucial work of ocean conservation and scientific research. If interested, apply below and include your interest, or contact our team today.
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MICHAELA DOLORFINO
On 13 May 2023, The International SeaKeepers Society is celebrating our 25th anniversary and the expansion of our mission to the United Kingdom at the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) College in Poole, Dorset. The evening highlighted our recent partnerships and programming activities in the UK & Europe.
Guest speakers included Board Chair Emeritus & Board Member, Michael T. Moore; Chair of “World Sailings” Sustainability Commission & IMOCA and FICO world champion, Mike Golding OBE, and spokesperson for Tracy Edwards MBE, Marie-Claude Heys.
On 22 September 2022, SeaKeepers hosted a private cocktail reception ahead of the Monaco Yacht Show at The Shard in London, England. We announced our United Kingdom launch event planned for May 2023. We highlighted our new UK partnerships and recent programming activities that include global Citizen Science initiatives, Scientist-led Expeditions, and Educational Outreach.
Scientist-Led Expeditions allow yacht owners, guests, and crew to join ongoing research with renowned marine scientists. The International SeaKeepers Society uses member yachts to provide crucial at-sea research platforms, promoting groundbreaking marine science and oceanography. Each expedition is uniquely tailored to the science and the yacht. Browse our additional programming by visiting our Headquarters, Asia, and the South Pacific pages on our website.
Citizen science expeditions offer an opportunity for vessel owners to get involved in smaller-scale marine research initiatives. These expeditions do not require scientists to be aboard, but they permit vessel owners and crew to participate in ongoing research projects which depend on the participation of non-scientists within the community. Browse our additional programming by visiting our Headquarters, Asia, and the South Pacific pages on our website.
Sponsored By:
SeaKeepers engages local communities through various initiatives, including yachting industry events, seminars, and beach clean-ups, as well as campaigns and projects that aim to protect and restore coral reefs and safeguard marine species. Browse our additional programming by visiting our Headquarters, Asia, and the South Pacific pages on our website.
SeaKeepers engages local communities through various initiatives, including yachting industry events, seminars, and beach clean-ups, as well as campaigns and projects that aim to protect and restore coral reefs and safeguard marine species. Browse our additional programming by visiting our Headquarters, Asia, and the South Pacific pages on our website.
Aboard DISCOVERY Yacht Traverse, The Goldings and their crew embarked on a remarkable 14-month expedition across the world's oceans. Travelling from New Zealand to the Mediterranean Sea, they are collaborating with multiple SeaKeepers chapters and offices to support Science at Sea and Citizen Science programming, while advocating for responsible boating. Find out more about their journey here.