PROTECTING THE OCEAN

Argo, a state-of-the-art research vessel, is moored off of Wolf Island during the Mission Blue Galapagos expedition in 2022, led by legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle. photos: Rolex

Rolex is committed to protecting the planet for the long term, and through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, supports individuals and organisations using science to find solutions to today’s environmental challenges.

Through this initiative, Rolex is supporting ocean conservation non-profit Mission Blue in its goal to create a global network of Hope Spots, areas with marine ecosystems whose protection is vital to the health and future of the oceans.

An archipelago of volcanic islands, the Galapagos Islands’ abundant and unique ecosystems are home to species of plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

When legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle, first visited the archipelago in 1966, she remarked that it was “the sharkiest, fishiest place” she’d ever been.

Sylvia Earle and Salome Buglass descend in the DeepSee submersible in search of deep sea kelp that may be new to science, during the Mission Blue Galápagos expedition in 2022.

However, that which makes it special also makes it vulnerable, with invasive species being introduced and local resources coming under increasing pressure as more people discovered the islands.

A ground-breaking expedition

The Galapagos Islands were chosen as one of Earle’s first Mission Blue Hope Spots in 2010.

This pristine area, a place with abundant biodiversity, is living proof that shows how human damage in the ocean can be reversed.

Now, a ground-breaking expedition, led by Earle, adds to growing evidence of the need for increased marine protections – and her efforts could not have come at a more critical time.

Despite Ecuador establishing the Galapagos Marine Reserve in 1998 – an area covering 133,000 sq km of the islands’ waters – more work was needed to ensure the Galapagos would be used sustainably for years to come by residents, tourists and fishers.

Sylvia Earle, Rolex Testimonee and founder of Mission Blue, in front of the DeepSee submersible.

In 2022, nearly 25 years on from the establishment of the Galapagos Marine Reserve, the time had come to assess the impacts of these protections.

Earle, a Rolex Testimonee since 1982, along with a multi-institutional team of scientists, set out on a two-week expedition across the Hope Spot.

Their wide-ranging research goals resulted in a comprehensive assessment of the marine ecosystem in the region, zeroing in on challenges and opportunities for future conservation efforts.

A blueprint for success

A large part of the expedition was devoted to revealing the hidden and forgotten diversity beneath the waves, using cutting edge technology such as environmental DNA (eDNA) and underwater video systems.

This was to provide a baseline value of ecosystem health that can be tracked by future surveys.

The expedition resulted in the uncovering of vital population data for little-studied animals such as seahorses and endemic slipper lobsters – eDNA analysis isolates traces of animal DNA that is left behind in the water column, which may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Previously, Earle and Salome Buglass of the Charles Darwin Foundation uncovered new species of kelp deep under the surface.

Sylvia Earle, Rolex Testimonee and founder of Mission Blue, dives among the reef wonders of the Galápagos Islands Hope Spot.

During the 2022 expedition the pair boarded the “DeepSee” submersible, in order to extend their explorations of the depths, and surfaced excitedly with footage of lush forests.

Tentative theories suggest that these rich kelp forests play a critical role in supporting the biodiversity of the region.

Thinking like an ocean

The expedition team continued long-term research into the transoceanic movements of marine animals, capturing location tags which record the migration of sharks from as far away as the Mexican Gulf and coastal Costa Rica.

The team also surveyed turtle habitats, mapped the foraging grounds of penguin colonies and measured levels of microplastics.

Research findings from this expedition serve as a potent argument for international cooperation in expanding marine protection.

Such a wide range of field work will help conservationists to, as Earle puts it, “think like an ocean” – recognising the connectivity of ecosystems and that, for marine life, there are no boundaries.

To this end, in 2021, Ecuador, Panama, Colombia and Costa Rica announced the creation of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor initiative, joining and increasing protected waters − to create a fishing-free “swimway” in a critical migratory route for sharks, turtles, rays and whales.

An important step, no doubt, however the work of Earle and her expedition team shows that there is a need to further widen and increase the number of swimways.

Manuel Yepez and Alex Hearn are Mission Blue’s Galapagos Islands Hope Spot co- Champions, inspirational figures in the protection of a key part of the ocean.

A Galapagos shark patrols the reefs of the Galapagos Islands Hope Spot.

The Galapagos Science Center’s Hearn was the principal investigator on the expedition under Earle’s leadership and convened the international team of scientists who took part, and believes that “if we can get it right here (in the Galapagos), that is a blueprint for getting it right across the planet.”

The Perpetual Planet Initiative

For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers pushing back the boundaries of human endeavour.

The company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet, partnering with individuals and organisations using science to understand and devise solutions to today’s environmental challenges.

This engagement was reinforced with the launch of the Perpetual Planet Initiative in 2019, which initially focused on individuals who contribute to a better world through the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, on safeguarding the oceans as part of an established association with Mission Blue, and on understanding climate change via its long-standing partnership with the National Geographic Society.

An expanding portfolio of other partnerships embraced by the Perpetual Planet Initiative now includes: Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen in their work as conservation photographers; Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, offspring organisations of Tompkins Conservation, which are protecting landscapes in South America; Coral Gardeners, transplanting resilient corals to reefs; Steve Boyes and the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions, exploring the continent’s major river basins; the Under The Pole expeditions, pushing the boundaries of underwater exploration; the B.I.G expedition to the North Pole in 2023, gathering data on threats to the Arctic; and the Monaco Blue Initiative, bringing together ocean conservation experts.

Rolex also supports organisations and initiatives fostering the next generations of explorers, scientists and conservationists through scholarships and grants such as Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and The Rolex Explorers Club Grants.