For the past decade the International SeaKeepers Society, founded by a group of yacht owners, has been raising awareness about and funds to address the deteriorating health of the oceans among fellow owners and within the yacht industry. Through their efforts more than $10 million has reportedly been raised thus far, helping to, among other things, create an ocean-monitoring system to gather data for scientists on ocean acidification, red tide, and other problems. The automated SeaKeeper 1000 has been installed on dozens of yachts, cruise ships, ferries, buoys, and piers and is endorsed by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and NOAA’s U.S. National Weather Service and National Marine Sanctuaries.
But with all of this success, one thing is still missing: the input of the people who day in and day out are closer than anyone else to what goes on with the sea. These individuals? Captains and crew. That’s why the organization is creating a new membership for them.
Called SeaKeepers Professionals, the membership will include two levels. The regular membership is open to any crewmember and costs $150 annually. The second category is for full-time, Class 4 licensed captains, called the Captain’s Circle; annual dues are $500. The first dozen Captain’s Circle members will be invited to join a Captain’s Advisory Board to counsel the SeaKeepers’ board of directors about issues affecting their livelihood as well as that of other similar professionals.
The new membership campaign will be kicked off at a fundraiser on October 20 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (just prior to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show). For more information and tickets, click here.
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