Swiss marine research

This is what it's all about.

Our seas and the animals and plants that live in them are responsible for the oxygen that humans breathe. In fact, the oxygen in every second breath we take comes from the oceans! Oceans stabilize the climate by storing heat, control the weather, and are our planet’s most important carbon sink. However, our seas are in danger. Pollution, overfishing, climate change, and acidification are just some of the aspects that are causing problems for the ocean habitat. The consequences not only endanger life in the oceans but also change the climate on land.

We need more and improved scientific data to better understand the causes and consequences. Together with YOU, we can collect this data and make a direct contribution to solutions for preserving our oceans and planet. With expedition participants like YOU, we would like our future expeditions to collect the following new data (in addition to our data on ocean microplastic pollution):

• About the quantity and quality of marine plankton, which provide a direct insight into water quality: In terms of biomass, plankton makes up over 90 percent of life in the world’s oceans and thus forms the basis of the marine food web, producing more than 50 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere on Earth!

• Record underwater sounds of dolphins and whales to better monitor and understand species populations. Whales and dolphins are important species in the marine ecosystem because they mix the nutrients in the sea and promote the growth of phytoplankton through their excretions. Their bodies serve as huge carbon stores and, after their death, are a valuable source of food for life in the deep sea.

With your help we can make a significant contribution to understanding our changing environment. For this we need new equipment/material (microscope, plankton net, hydrophone, field computer) for which we need YOUR support!

My project is special because ...

During our expeditions, we enable expedition participants (citizen scientists) to research the ocean habitat themselves and to actively participate in data collection. Together we will contribute to a more precise study of the oceans and the global environment. The new data obtained will help us understand global plankton populations, what influences global warming may have on plankton populations, and whether this has an impact on the populations of whales and dolphins. We also support local researchers in their work and provide them with valuable scientific data. With the new measuring devices we wish to obtain, we will also detect microplastics in plankton and understand their possible harmful effects.

This is what I need backing for.

We are a non-profit organization and rely on the financial support of sponsors like YOU. We can only carry out the expeditions with the participation and financial support of the expedition participants (citizen scientists). With this crowdfunding campaign we will purchase the necessary equipment (a hydrophone, a plankton net, a ship’s microscope and a field computer) which, together with YOU, will allow us to collect and analyze plankton samples and the underwater sounds of whales/dolphins. All data collected by the citizen scientists from the plankton and hydrophone will be published on our website for all to see and hear.

With your help, we can contribute to our oceans’ preservation, marine life, and address the climate change problem. Your support is invaluable and will have a direct and lasting impact on marine research.