Ocean Regeneration
When the ocean changes, everything changes.
Oceans generate more than half the oxygen we breathe, regulate the climate, and absorb carbon dioxide. Coastal ecosystems play a unique role, buffering communities against storms, preventing erosion, and supporting livelihoods. But today, marine habitats are under severe pressure from pollution, overfishing and climate change.
We must act quickly before irreversible tipping points are reached.
Every passenger helps regenerate the ocean
For each passenger, we fund the planting of one unit of new life in the ocean and the removal of one kilogram of ocean-bound waste.
Seagrass
Saving a climate hero. Underwater seagrass meadows are visible from space. They store carbon at twice the rate of land-based forests, filter water, and provide habitat for sea turtles and manatees. But two football fields disappear every hour.
Projects Supported:
- The Cleanwave Foundation and MedGardens plant seagrass meadows and work with communities to promote sustainable mooring in Mallorca, Spain.
Kelp
Restoring a wildlife ally. Absorbing carbon faster than tropical forests, kelp is quietly shaping the future of life on Earth. But kelp forests have declined dramatically. Restoration is vital for providing shelter for wildlife, combating climate change, and reversing ocean acidification.
Projects Supported:
- Coastal Kelp and the Sechelt First Nations restore kelp forests in partnership with Indigenous communities, to honour traditional knowledge around sustainable aquaculture in British Columbia, Canada.
- SeaForester use the green gravel technique to seed stones with seaweed spores and scatter them across reefsin Cascais, Portugal.
Coral
Rebuilding ocean’s architects. Coral reefs support around a quarter of all marine life. But half of the world’s reefs have disappeared in the last 30 years, and most of the remainder are at risk from warming, ocean acidification, and polluted runoff.
Projects Supported:
- Ocean Gardener employ local fishermen to restore reefs on Nusa Penida, Bali, using techniques like three-dimensional photogrammetry.
- Raising Coral revive degraded reefs in partnership with local coral gardeners who monitor and improve reef health in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica.
Stopping ocean-bound plastic waste at the source
Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic end up in our ocean, harming marine life, polluting coastal communities, and even making its way into the food we eat. Plastic can be found everywhere from the Arctic to the deepest ocean trenches. While it is a global problem, a significant portion stems from a handful of places, especially from rivers with underdeveloped waste management. By understanding these key locations, we can target prevention efforts where they make the biggest difference.
Cleaning up the Coral Triangle
Indonesia lies within the Coral Triangle, one of the world’s richest (yet most highly polluted) marine regions. We partnered with CleanHub to support a waste recovery project in North Sulawesi. Along with a local partner, the No-Trash Triangle Initiative, the project connects homes, schools and businesses to reliable waste management, to help avoid open burning and dumping.
River traps and barriers have also been installed to intercept plastic before it reaches the ocean, and regular clean-ups target beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs. At the heart of the project are principles of community empowerment and circular economy, with local teams trained and employed to operate sorting stations and river traps.
Responsible seafood menu
We only source our wild-caught or farmed seafood from companies certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or equivalent.
These certifications aren’t perfect, but they do provide independent checks across complex supply chains where direct oversight can be difficult.
Alongside certification, we choose species based on population health and whether they can be responsibly sourced.
The expansion of salmon farming has brought significant environmental challenges. Most farmed salmon is raised in open-net pens in coastal waters, where waste, excess feed and chemicals flow directly into the surrounding marine environment. This can lead to nutrient pollution, algal blooms and damage to sensitive ecosystems.
From the 2025–26 Antarctic season, we will remove salmon from our onboard menu. Until stronger environmental standards are adopted across the industry, we are choosing alternatives that align with our commitment to ocean health.
Hope Spots
Only 2.7% of the ocean is effectively protected, well short of the global target to protect 30% by 2030.
Mission Blue, led by oceanographer and explorer Dr Sylvia Earle, has established Hope Spots. These special spots are in need of stronger protection, because they are home to rare or threatened species, unique ecosystems, migration corridors, spawning grounds or significant cultural sites.
Today, there are more than 165 Hope Spots, spanning 115 countries and covering 57.5 km2 of ocean. We are proud to have named our second ship after Dr Sylvia Earle.
