For the past 12 years, the International SeaKeepers Society has been monitoring the deteriorating health of the world’s oceans and providing scientists with important data. The non-profit organization has been doing so mostly through generous donations by megayacht owners, and in more recent years through donations by yacht builders and even yacht crew. (“Generous” is no exaggeration: Owners pay a $75,000 membership fee, with an additional $10,000 in annual dues to cover maintenance and calibration of the SeaKeeper 1000, specialized data-collecting equipment installed on their yachts.)
To further its cause, SeaKeepers has partnered with Yachts International magazine to host five events on both sides of the Atlantic. The goal is twofold: to commemorate the strides being made, and to continue spreading word of the importance of taking care of the oceans.
The events will be held in Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale stateside, plus St. Barts, Cannes, and Monaco. In a statement, Michael Moore, SeaKeepers’ chairman, comments, “With the help of Yachts International, SeaKeepers hopes to inspire the entire yachting community to take action and join with us in the mission of providing vital data to the global scientific community – free – as these scientists work and study global climate change and thereby protect and restore the world’s oceans.”
No dates have yet been released for the events, so I will update accordingly. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about SeaKeepers, certainly visit the organization’s Web site. You can also read my exclusive online article on how SeaKeepers serves as the guardians of the ocean. Another SeaKeepers story I wrote was recently picked up by CNN and referenced by The Wall Street Journal.
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