B y initiating the ‘ocean tribute’ award in 2017, the Monegasque Prince Albert II Foundation, the German Ocean Foundation and boot Düsseldorf have set themselves a clear guideline: To support people, projects or initiatives in their commitment to marine conservation. Since 2018, the €20,000 prize has been awarded annually as part of the BLUE MOTION NIGHT.
This year’s winner is the organisation Ambiente Europeo with the SeaLabs project. SeaLabs is a citizen science programme that enables sailors to take marine samples in remote areas and thus influence the health of the oceans.
Laudator Denise “Dee” Caffari, British sailor, announced the result of the jury and the public vote: “Congratulations to Ambiente ampero and its wonderful commitment to marine conservation. The Ocean acts as a barometer for our planet’s health. To understand this we need data which can be used to educate and inform key decision makers on policy change and their effects. Without evidence, changing behaviours and attitudes is difficult. The valuable work of our winner allows us to gather this essential data and facilitate change for the better. Citizen science allows for a much greater reach and hopefully a faster change for the better.”
Dee Cafari has sailed around the world a total of six times. In 2006, she was the first woman to sail around the world non-stop as a single-handed sailor – alone on the boat – heading west (westabout) and against the prevailing winds. She was awarded the title MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for this achievement.
boot Director Petros Michelidakis: ‘Our oceans are not only essential for the ecological balance, but also for the global climate. With the ‘ocean tribute’ award, we want to gain further supporters for this important cause. In doing so, we are aligning ourselves with the sustainability goals of the United Nations. Our aim is to protect the oceans, seas and their resources and to restore destroyed habitats in the interests of sustainable development.’
Frank Schweikert, Chairman of the German Ocean Foundation: “Congratulations to Ambiente Europeo and their important commitment to marine conservation, which impressively demonstrates the importance of our civil society involvement in research”.
SeaLabs empowers sailors to gather essential marine data in remote areas, turning every sailing journey into a research expedition. By equipping participants with affordable sensor technology and an intuitive app, the organization harness the power of the sailing community to contribute larger datasets than scientists alone. Together, the resulting open source database is intended to provide a clearer picture of the state of the oceans in order to provide policies with information on the protection of marine life, food sources and the environment. SeaLabs engages citizens in hands-on scientific marine data collection so that volunteers not only become stewards of the marine environment but also gain awareness through their involvement. They play a pivotal role in both contributing to a database that informs policy and in amplifying communication about the health of our seas. Through collaboration with local communities, sailing organizations, and educational institutions, we build partnerships that promote a collective commitment to ocean conservation.
Ambiente Europeo would like to use the prize money to realise a sensor uptade, complete seaworthy accommodation and dedicate itself to expanding the community.
