FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Lisa Bell or Megan Esteves
Regan Communications Group
617-488-2883/212-710-0322
lbell@regancomm.com / mesteves@regancomm.com

AROUND THE AMERICAS EXPEDITION SAILS ONWARD FROM GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TO COSTA RICA AND MEXICO

13-month, 28,000 nautical mile expedition continues to prove that the Americas are indeed One Island, Surrounded by One Ocean

BOSTON, MA (March 31, 2010) – Around the Americas today announced it has set sail for its final port stops in Central America and Mexico before heading to the United States’ West Coast, ultimately concluding in Seattle in June. On March 30, 2010, the steel-hulled, 64-foot sailing vessel (S/V), Ocean Watch, departed the Galapagos Islands, en route to Puntarenas, Costa Rica and then Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after spending the last two months rounding the coast of South America, including an adventurous voyage around Cape Horn, making several port stops in Chile and Peru.

Along their journey, the Ocean Watch crew has found that while local challenges and threats to coastal environments differ around the Americas, the long-term effects on local inhabitants are often surprisingly similar.

“Our voyage Around the Americas was launched under the simplest of precepts: The continents of North and South America should be considered a solo island entity; surrounded by a shared, singular ocean; with challenges, communities, issues and solutions all linked together as a common whole,” said Herb McCormick, full-time crew member and on-board journalist. For example, melting sea ice has posed new threats to human inhabitants of the Arctic in the form of polar bears that are now migrating inland as their natural habitats are melting away.  This is taking a toll on coastal communities, whose proximity to Alaska’s coastlines is vital to their livelihood.  Similarly, the livelihood of Chile’s fishing communities is being threatened by unsustainable fish farming practices. Natural fish supplies are diminishing and falling prey to farmed species that often escape from farms. The crew has also been witness to the effects of waste from salmon farms causing algal blooms which render shellfish crops inedible.

McCormick adds, “It’s clear that the long-term ramifications to communities, economies and the environment – and to the way people live their lives – are surprisingly similar in places as far apart as the Artic and Chile.” The expedition sees a common theme again and again — One Island, One Ocean.

More on the issues that the Around the Americas expedition identified and studied while visiting the South American ports are as follows:

• Receding Glaciers

• The crew of Ocean Watch found stunning similarities between the receding southern glaciers and the northern glaciers in Alaska, Canada and Greenland. Forty-six of the 48 glaciers in Chile are receding. In Alaska, with over 200 glaciers, all but two are receding. Ocean Watch Captain Mark Schrader observed that while several years ago there were few ships nimble enough to navigate the Northwest Passage, narrow with sea ice, today it is traversed by the likes of small cruise ships.
  • Farm Fishing
• The expedition has found that fish farming, particularly in Chile, has become a huge, yet often unsustainable industry. Overcrowded salmon farms, once prosperous, have become laden with disease and the use of antibiotics has tarnished the global reputation of Chile’s farmed exports.  Many citizens who traveled to Chile’s coasts to take jobs at farms during the industry’s boom have now lost them.  As local scientists, environmentalists and the government work to regulate the industry and establish sustainable practices, the country’s natural fishing industry continues to suffer as well.  The crew of Ocean Watch saw vast harbors of abandoned fishing boats and neighboring villages, like that of Quellon, Chile, filled with offshore fisherman who were out of work because the local waters have been overfished. In fact, crew members found an unlikely comparison between the U.S.’ “bread basket” and the coasts of Chile in that the waste of animals from both land and sea can cause major damage to local waterways if not properly monitored.

As Ocean Watch spends time in the ports of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Puntarenas, Costa Rica and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, there is one prominent issue that the crew will be studying and focusing on, and that is coral reef damage.

• Coral Reef bleaching

• During the expedition’s stops in the Ecuador, Costa Rica and Mexico, the Ocean Watch crew will study and document first hand the damage to coral reefs. One-fifth of the world’s coral reefs have died or been destroyed and the remainder are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
• Coral reef bleaching has been linked to manmade and environmental causes including overfishing, increased sedimentation, nutrient overloading, run off pollution, violent storms, flooding, high and low temperature extremes and El Nino events. Coral reefs have the ability to recover after major bleaching events. In fact, 45% of coral reefs worldwide are currently healthy. One can encourage recovery of the other 55% by putting an end to damaging fishing practices like bomb and cyanide fishing, adopting sustainable fishing practices, regulating nutrient, chemical and sediment run-off pollution, and preventing further acidification of our oceans by reducing atmospheric carbon that is absorbed by the ocean.

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation is a major funder of Ocean Watch, in order to raise awareness for coral reef conservation. Tiffany & Co. stopped selling coral in 2002, and The Tiffany & Co. Foundation continues to support research and conservation endeavors to protect corals and reef ecosystems, such as Around the Americas.

“We are aware of the damage coral harvesting inflicts on critically important marine ecosystems,” said Fernanda Kellogg, President of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. “Our support of the Around the Americas expedition is an exciting and important way to increase awareness about the health of the oceans, the important role that coral reefs play, and the necessary and important steps to take to protect these species.”

Ocean Watch’s remaining Ports of Call include:

• Puntarenas, Costa Rica                        04/04/10 – 04/09/10
• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico           04/20/10 – 04/26/10
• San Diego, California  USA     05/04/10 – 05/10/10
• Los Angeles, California           05/10/10 – 05/14/10
• Santa Barbara, California         05/14/10 – 05/20/09
• Monterey Bay, California         05/22/10 – 05/26/10
• San Francisco, California         05/26/10 – 06/05/10
• Astoria, Oregon                       06/10/10 – 06/12/10
• Port Townsend, Washington   06/16/10 – 06/17/10
• Seattle, Washington                 06/17/10

For more information about Around the Americas, including photos and the current whereabouts of the sailboat, please visit www.AroundtheAmericas.org, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AroundtheAmericas or follow the expedition on Twitter at AroundAmericas.

About Around the Americas

Around the Americas is a 28,000 mile sailing circumnavigation of the American continents with the mission of inspiring, educating and engaging the citizens of the Americas to protect our fragile oceans. Around the Americas was launched by Sailors for the Sea, which was founded in 2004 by David Rockefeller, Jr. with a mission to engage the boating community to help protect our endangered oceans. The expedition is collaboration among Sailors for the Sea, Pacific Science Center, a Seattle-based not-for-profit science foundation that has developed a full curriculum for K-8 students on ocean studies, and renowned ocean sailor Mark Schrader, who has twice before sailed around the world by himself.

The Around the Americas sailboat, Ocean Watch, embarked on the expedition from Seattle in May 2009 and has successfully sailed through the Northwest Passage, continued down the east coast, around Cape Horn and is now sailing up the west coast returning finally to Seattle in June 2010. It will visit approximately 50 ports along its journey.

North and South America are continent-islands surrounded by a large, complex and fragile ocean environment. The ocean is changing:  fish stocks and other marine creatures are vanishing; coral is suffering, ph levels are changing, and the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic ice is raising the sea level and threatening low lying areas. Our ocean is at risk.

About the Sailboat, Ocean Watch

The steel-hulled, 64-foot sailing vessel Ocean Watch has a full-time crew of four, including a photojournalist. Throughout the expedition, a Pacific Science Center educator will be on board to facilitate education activities. In addition, ocean and atmospheric scientists will join different legs of the expedition to conduct research on board Ocean Watch. Activities at approximately 40 scheduled ports-of-call will engage the public in hands-on exhibits, didactic displays and public talks about ocean health.

About Sailors for the Sea

The nonprofit organization Sailors for the Sea (SfS) educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. As a direct result of his work on the Pew Oceans Commission, SfS was founded by David Rockefeller, Jr. to galvanize the sailing and boating community around ocean health issues.

Sailors for the Sea works with many organizations to leverage the effectiveness of our projects and programs – this includes the 2009 release of a powerful new documentary film co-sponsored by SfS entitled A Sea Change, which focuses on ocean acidification.  Sailors for the Sea is also a co-supporter of the Around the Americas expedition, which is circumnavigating North and South America by sail to raise awareness of ocean conservation issues.

Additionally, Sailors for the Sea has three core programs – the nationwide Clean Regattas program assists and certifies yacht clubs and regatta organizers as providing clean events that minimize impacts upon our oceans.  The web-based Ocean Watch program provides essays on current ocean conservation issues as well as resources for further information and engagement with stewardship activities.  SfS is developing the strategic plan for the Certified Sea Friendly program which will create a voluntary, LEED-style certification program to transform the marine manufacturing industry and make the construction, maintenance and operation of vessels more environmentally friendly.

To learn more and join Sailors for the Sea, please visit: www.sailorsforthesea.org.

About Pacific Science Center

Pacific Science Center, a not-for-profit institution in Seattle, Washington, is a nationally recognized leader in informal science education. The Science Center’s flagship facility serves a million guests each year with exhibits, IMAX films, planetarium and laser shows, programs and events for all ages. Pacific Science Center has expertise in curriculum development and informal (non classroom-based) education, much of which is available for bilingual audiences. Through the van based Science On Wheels education program, Pacific Science Center brings engaging, hands-on activities to schools and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. These capabilities, combined with the Science Center’s strong connections with the atmospheric and oceanographic research communities, make it uniquely well-suited for partnering in the Around the Americas venture.

Media Contact: Lisa Bell Regan Communications Group 617-488-2883 lbell@regancomm.com

Sailing East to West Around Cape Horn, Around the Americas Marks a Thrilling Milestone on its Mission to Inspire, Educate and Engage Citizens of the Americas to Protect Our Fragile Oceans

Pdf of the press release

BOSTON, MA (January 27, 2010) – Around the Americas today announced an extraordinary milestone on its 25,000 mile sailing circumnavigation of the American continents – it has successfully rounded Cape Horn, South America. Around the Americas was launched by Sailors for the Sea, which was founded in 2004 by David Rockefeller, Jr., and in partnership with Pacific Science Center, with a mission of inspiring, educating and engaging the citizens of the Americas to protect our fragile oceans. The steel-hulled, 64-foot sailing vessel (S/V) Ocean Watch has a full-time crew of four, including a photographer and journalist. While traveling around Cape Horn, they grew to a crew of eight, consisting of the four permanent crew members plus David Rockefeller, Jr., David Treadway, Ned Cabot and Horacio Rosell, all of whom joined the expedition as it sailed from the Falkland Islands, U.K. to Puerto Williams, Chile and continues on its voyage to Puerto Montt, Chile.

“The Horn has been called ‘the Mount Everest of sailing,’ which is not an exaggeration,” said Watch Captain Herb McCormick, who is one of the four permanent crew members on S/V Ocean Watch along with Captain Mark Schrader, Watch Caption, Photographer and Journalist David Thoreson and First Mate David Logan. “The history, lore, adventure and challenge of rounding Cape Horn is rich and enduring. We’ve been preparing for these weeks since we left Seattle at the start of the expedition last May. The power of the ocean around Cape Horn is raw and incredible. The weather is changeable and awesome. As sailors, this is what we live for. We all feel incredibly privileged and excited.”

Weather forecasts from a variety of sources for the Beagle Channel, a 150-nautical mile waterway that links the Atlantic Ocean to the east with the Pacific Ocean to the west and the surrounding areas, all agreed that the afternoon of January 23^rd may have been the only time in two weeks when rounding the Horn from east to west was actually going to be possible. “S/V Ocean Watch is one of only 100 boats in 100 years to have successfully traveled through the Northwest Passage and now Ocean Watch and those of us involved with the Around the Americas expedition are proud to announce the sail around Cape Horn – two simply remarkable feats for any vessel, but particularly for a sailing vessel,” said David Rockefeller, Jr. “It truly was a thrilling feeling when my fellow mates from Sailors for the Sea, David Treadway and Ned Cabot, and I each took turns at the helm. It’s not every day you sail around the Horn,” he added.

There have been several discoveries and observations made during the expedition as well as scientific data that has and will continue to be collected, and then comprehensively evaluated at the end of the voyage. Examples of both are as follows.

Discoveries and observations, to date, include:

• • Sea ice is melting
  • Ships are passing through the Arctic waters as never before
  • Increased bear population on Cooper Island, Alaska
  • Farmed fish have now surpassed wild caught fish as a source of human protein
  • Extreme ocean acidification, particularly in the Arctic, which threatens the viability of ocean life
  • Abundance of jelly fish
  • Aerosol plum and coccolithophore bloom off Patagonia

Scientific Research Programs that are in progress throughout the expedition include:

o Meteorological Studies

o Jellyfish Survey

o Arctic Buoy Deployment

o Solar Reflection Study

o Underwater Sounds

o Water Quality Measurements in Port

o Cloud Observations

For more information about Around the Americas, including photos and the current whereabouts of the sailboat, please visit www.AroundtheAmericas.org, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/AroundtheAmericas or follow the expedition on Twitter at AroundAmericas.

About Around the Americas

Around the Americas is a 25,000 mile sailing circumnavigation of the American continents with the mission of inspiring, educating and engaging the citizens of the Americas to protect our fragile oceans. Around the Americas was launched by Sailors for the Sea, which was founded in 2004 by David Rockefeller, Jr. with a mission to engage the boating community to help protect our endangered oceans. The expedition is collaboration among Sailors for the Sea, Pacific Science Center, a Seattle-based not-for-profit science foundation, and renowned ocean sailor Mark Schrader, who has twice before sailed around the world by himself.

The Around the Americas sailboat, Ocean Watch, embarked on the expedition from Seattle in May 2009 and has successfully sailed through the Northwest Passage, is continuing down the east coast, around Cape Horn and up the west coast returning finally to Seattle in June 2010. It will visit approximately 40 ports along its journey.

North and South America are continent-islands surrounded by a large, complex and fragile ocean environment. The ocean is changing: fish stocks and other marine creatures are vanishing; coral is suffering, ph levels are changing, and the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic ice is raising the sea level and threatening low lying areas. Our ocean is at risk.

About the Sailboat, Ocean Watch

The steel-hulled, 64-foot sailing vessel Ocean Watch has a full-time crew of four, including a photojournalist. Throughout the expedition, a Pacific Science Center educator will be on board to facilitate education activities. In addition, ocean and atmospheric scientists will join different legs of the expedition to conduct research on board Ocean Watch. Activities at approximately 40 scheduled ports-of-call will engage the public in hands-on exhibits, didactic displays and public talks about ocean health.

About Sailors for the Sea

The nonprofit organization Sailors for the Sea (SfS) educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. As a direct result of his work on the Pew Oceans Commission, SfS was founded by David Rockefeller, Jr. to galvanize the sailing and boating community around ocean health issues.

Sailors for the Sea works with many organizations to leverage the effectiveness of our projects and programs – this includes the 2009 release of a powerful new documentary film co-sponsored by SfS entitled A Sea Change, which focuses on ocean acidification.  Sailors for the Sea is also a co-supporter of the Around the Americas expedition, which is circumnavigating North and South America by sail to raise awareness of ocean conservation issues.

Additionally, Sailors for the Sea has three core programs – the nationwide Clean Regattas program assists and certifies yacht clubs and regatta organizers as providing clean events that minimize impacts upon our oceans.  The web-based Ocean Watch program provides essays on current ocean conservation issues as well as resources for further information and engagement with stewardship activities.  SfS is developing the strategic plan for the Certified Sea Friendly program which will create a voluntary, LEED-style certification program to transform the marine manufacturing industry and make the construction, maintenance and operation of vessels more environmentally friendly.

To learn more and join Sailors for the Sea, please visit: www.sailorsforthesea.org.

About Pacific Science Center

Pacific Science Center, a not-for-profit institution in Seattle, Washington, is a nationally recognized leader in informal science education. The Science Center’s flagship facility serves a million guests each year with exhibits, IMAX films, planetarium and laser shows, programs and events for all ages. Pacific Science Center has expertise in curriculum development and informal (non classroom-based) education, much of which is available for bilingual audiences. Through the van based Science On Wheels education program, Pacific Science Center brings engaging, hands-on activities to schools and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. These capabilities, combined with the Science Center’s strong connections with the atmospheric and oceanographic research communities, make it uniquely well-suited for partnering in the Around the Americas venture.

###

Scientific Research Program

Instrumentation onboard Ocean Watch will enable the collection of datas throughout the expedition. Whenever possible, scientists will join the expedition and participate in port-based education and outreach activities. Brief descriptions of the ship-based science projects are below.

Meteorological Studies

(Dr. Michael Reynolds, RMR Co. and Dr. Andy Jessup, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory)

Understanding of global climate change is dependent on quality measurements feeding computer models. Satellite measurements depend on a grid of high precision measurements from the Earth’s surface. Air-sea flux (heat and water vapor exchange) measurements are both sparse and crucial. The Around the Americas meteorological package is a carefully designed system that will make all required measurements to completely define the exchange of heat and water vapor between the ocean and atmosphere.  Measurements made during the voyage (winds, temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation, infrared radiation, and sea temperature) are measured to very high precision.

Jellyfish Survey

(Dr. Bill Asher, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory in collaboration with Dr. Jenny Purcell, Western Washington University, and Dr. Mary Beth Decker, Yale University)

Jellyfish blooms, which are becoming increasingly common in coastal waters, are thought to be a symptom of anthropogenic ocean stress and climate change. Little is currently known about the areal extent of jellyfish populations, and few surveys have been conducted measuring their populations over wide geographic ranges. Visible imaging techniques have been shown to be effective in measuring jellyfish populations, and a survey of jellyfish populations as a function of latitude over an entire ocean basin would help address this issue. This study will use video cameras mounted on the stern of the boat combined with opportunistic tissue sampling and species identification of jellyfish.

Arctic Buoy Deployment

(Dr. Ignatius Rigor, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory)

Buoys deployed in the Arctic for the International Arctic Buoy Program measure air pressure and sea surface temperature. These data are widely used by both weather and ice forecasters.  If the buoys are near other buoys or research stations collecting similar data, the air pressure measurements can be used to estimate wind speed and direction. The location of each buoy over time is tracked by a satellite. Tracking information is used to derive information on ocean currents or ice velocity, depending on where the buoy is deployed. Recently, data from these instruments were employed to support the introduction of polar bears to the endangered species list.

Solar Reflection Study

(Drs. Tom Ackerman and Dave Covert, Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean)

Atmospheric scientists from UW’s Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) will use a hand-held sun photometer to examine the reflection of solar energy by particulate matter (aerosols) in the atmosphere. Aerosols come from both man-made and natural sources.  They reduce the amount of solar radiation (energy) reaching the earth’s surface, thus reducing temperature and partially counteracting global warming from greenhouse gases.  However, any aerosol counteraction of greenhouse warming is short term and localized. These data, not routinely collected at sea, will be compared to NASA’s satellite-based measurements and supplement NASA’s ground-based photometer network.

Underwater Sounds

(Dr. Peter Dahl, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory)

A hydrophone will be used to record the underwater sounds of marine mammals, along with the more general background sound, or ambient noise environment, found within different ports.  When possible, the acoustic data will be paired with photo and video recordings of marine animals. Data collected from different ports will be used to examine the variation of sound level with latitude as it is influenced by snapping shrimp populations (which are more prevalent at tropical latitudes) and the degree of industrialization characterizing the port.

Water Quality Measurements in Port

(Dr. Chrys Chryssostomidis, MIT Sea Grant College Program)

In collaboration with the MIT Sea Grant College Program, a Sea Perch will be used to collect water quality data in each port. The Sea Perch is a simple, remotely operated underwater vehicle, or ROV, that is equipped with sensors to collect near-shore water quality data in each port.  Developed by the MIT Sea Grant in 2003, the Sea Perch Program trains teachers and their students to build and deploy the Sea Perch. Now, students around the world are using their Sea Perches to collect and enter water quality data into the online Sea Perch Data Bank, an international water quality database. Data collected by Sea Perch users is automatically integrated into state of the art GIS-based maps and comparative graphs. Students and scientists around the world can tap into the database to use Sea Perch data in their research.  To learn more about Sea Perch, see http://seaperch. mit.edu.

Cloud Observations

(Dr. Lin Chambers, NASA)

Daily observations of cloud cover and type will be made from Ocean Watch throughout the expedition as part of the NASA Students’ Cloud Observations On-Line (S’COOL) project. These data are used to verify data from the NASA CERES satellite instruments. This project represents the first time that cloud observations are collected consistently from the open ocean for the S’COOL project. Students following the expedition can contribute to this dataset by using the S’COOL Rover website to make their own cloud observations from their backyards and/or schools to compare with observations from Ocean Watch.

About Around the Americas
Around the Americas is a 25,000 mile sailing circumnavigation of the American continents with the mission of inspiring, educating and engaging the citizens of the Americas to protect our fragile oceans. Around the Americas was launched by Sailors for the Sea, which was founded in 2004 by David Rockefeller, Jr. with a mission to engage the boating community to help protect our endangered oceans. The expedition is collaboration among Sailors for the Sea, Pacific Science Center, a Seattle-based not-for-profit science foundation, and renowned ocean sailor Mark Schrader, who has twice before sailed around the world by himself.
The Around the Americas sailboat, Ocean Watch, embarked on the expedition from Seattle in May 2009 and has successfully sailed through the Northwest Passage, is continuing down the east coast, around Cape Horn and up the west coast returning finally to Seattle in June 2010. It will visit approximately 40 ports along its journey.
North and South America are continent-islands surrounded by a large, complex and fragile ocean environment. The ocean is changing:  fish stocks and other marine creatures are vanishing; coral is suffering, ph levels are changing, and the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic ice is raising the sea level and threatening low lying areas. Our ocean is at risk.
For more information about Around the Americas, including the current whereabouts of the sailboat, please visit www.AroundTheAmericas.org.
About the Sailboat, Ocean Watch
The steel-hulled, 64-foot sailing vessel Ocean Watch has a full-time crew of four, including a photojournalist. Throughout the expedition, a Pacific Science Center educator will be on board to facilitate education activities. In addition, ocean and atmospheric scientists will join different legs of the expedition to conduct research on board Ocean Watch. Activities at approximately 40 scheduled ports-of-call will engage the public in hands-on exhibits, didactic displays and public talks about ocean health.

About Sailors for the Sea
The nonprofit organization Sailors for the Sea (SfS) educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. As a direct result of his work on the Pew Oceans Commission, SfS was founded by David Rockefeller, Jr. to galvanize the sailing and boating community around ocean health issues.

Sailors for the Sea works with many organizations to leverage the effectiveness of our projects and programs – this includes the 2009 release of a powerful new documentary film co-sponsored by SfS entitled A Sea Change, which focuses on ocean acidification.  Sailors for the Sea is also a co-supporter of the Around the Americas expedition, which is circumnavigating North and South America by sail to raise awareness of ocean conservation issues.

Additionally, Sailors for the Sea has three core programs – the nationwide Clean Regattas program assists and certifies yacht clubs and regatta organizers as providing clean events that minimize impacts upon our oceans.  The web-based Ocean Watch program provides essays on current ocean conservation issues as well as resources for further information and engagement with stewardship activities.  SfS is developing the strategic plan for the Certified Sea Friendly program which will create a voluntary, LEED-style certification program to transform the marine manufacturing industry and make the construction, maintenance and operation of vessels more environmentally friendly.

To learn more and join Sailors for the Sea, please visit: www.sailorsforthesea.org.

About Pacific Science Center
Pacific Science Center, a not-for-profit institution in Seattle, Washington, is a nationally recognized leader in informal science education. The Science Center’s flagship facility serves a million guests each year with exhibits, IMAX films, planetarium and laser shows, programs and events for all ages. Pacific Science Center has expertise in curriculum development and informal (non classroom-based) education, much of which is available for bilingual audiences. Through the van based Science On Wheels education program, Pacific Science Center brings engaging, hands-on activities to schools and communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. These capabilities, combined with the Science Center’s strong connections with the atmospheric and oceanographic research communities, make it uniquely well-suited for partnering in the Around the Americas venture.

Crew of Ocean Watch Arriving in New York Saturday, October 3

New York is Fourth Official Port Stop since transiting the Northwest Passage

Monday, October 05, 2009

Ocean Watch completes unique West to East transit of Northwest Passage on their Around the Americas Expedition Focused on Ocean Health

NEW YORK - After more than three months since departing Seattle on May 31 bound for the Arctic, theOcean Watch crew successfully completed the first of four legs of the Around the Americas expedition including the challenging transit through the Northwest Passage. Ocean Watch will stop in New York City, October 3 to 8, for a variety of onshore events and activities.
WHAT:  Fourth Official Port Stop in East Coast Leg of Around the Americas expedition – Crew of Ocean Watch visits New York City
The Around the Americas expedition is the first environmental project of its kind to take a scientifically focused look at the health of the world’s oceans and the impact of global climate change on local environments and ecosystems. Ocean Watch will continue to traverse the east and west coasts of North and South America over the next 10 months. Daily reports of their progress are filed from the boat along with photos and video. There are opportunities to meet the crew during the planned port visits. The daily reports, images and current port schedule are available at www.aroundtheamericas.org. 
The project, organized by Sailors for the Sea (Boston, Mass. and Newport, Rhode Island) in partnership with the Pacific Science Center (Seattle, Washington), has received major funding from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Unilever.
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will host Ocean Watch, scheduled to arrive in New York on Saturday, October 3 and remain docked at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the Hudson River until it departs on October 8.
On Sunday, October 4;  Monday,  October 5 and Tuesday, October 6 from 1 to 4 pm,  the crew of Ocean Watch invites the public to open house events – dockside near the Ocean Watch moorage  space – to see the vessel and to meet crewmembers. The open house will include a dockside exhibit tent with marine science demonstrations for all ages.
WHEN: October 3-8, 2009 – berthed at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the Hudson River at 12^thand 48^th Street
                October 4, 5 and 6, 1-4 p.m. – open house, shore exhibit
SPECIAL MEDIA NOTE:   A VIP Reception (Invitation Only) will be held at The Intrepid Sea, Air &  Space Museum on Wednesday, October 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.  If media wishes to cover the event, arrangements can be made in advance.
WHERE: Docking, open house, shore exhibit: The Intrepid Sea, Air &  Space Museum   12^th and 48^th Street
WHO:  The open house and shore exhibits are free and open to the public.
CONTACT: Members of the media are encouraged to make prior arrangements if interested in talking withOcean Watch crewmembers as the crewmembers will be hosting several dockside exhibits, and provisioning the boat and tending to boat maintenance while docked in New York. Dan McConnell and Lauren Curley will be available on site and accessible by the phone numbers on this announcement to schedule interviews and photos.
About the Funding Organizations
Established in 2000, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations working in two main program areas: the environment and the arts. The Foundation’s environmental conservation program promotes responsible mining, healthy marine ecosystems, the enhancement of urban environments and the preservation of culturally significant landmarks. In addition, the Foundation fosters design excellence by supporting organizations dedicated to the decorative arts. For more information on The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, please visit www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org.
Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products. In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs nearly 12,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2008. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

The Rockefeller Family and The Osberg Family Trust.
About Around the Americas
Around the Americas is an historic 25,000-mile clockwise-circumnavigation of the North and South American continents, never before undertaken in continuous fashion. The sailboat, equipped with some of the latest technology, along with scientists and educators who join during various legs of the voyage, is making 31 stopovers in 13 months to draw attention to the changing condition of the oceans. With major funding support from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Unilever, a non-profit consortium has been formed to make the public more aware of the plight of our oceans. The project was developed by Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit organization that educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters, in partnership with Pacific Science Center, a nationally recognized leader in informal science and environmental education. The crew includes Captain Mark Schrader, a world-record-holding, solo circumnavigator and ocean race director, and three talented, experienced, professional sailors who are devoted to ocean conservation. Daily updates of the voyage and posted from the boat are available at www.aroundtheamericas.org.

Crew of Ocean Watch Safely Navigates the Northwest Passage

East Coast Leg of Around the America Expedition Begins with First Port Stop in St. John’s Newfoundland

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

FOR NATIONAL RELEASE
September 8, 2009

St. John’s, Newfoundland - After 13 weeks, 5 days since departing Seattle on May 31 bound for the Arctic, the Ocean Watch crew successfully completes the first of four legs of the Around the Americas expedition including the challenging transit through the Northwest Passage.

The Around the Americas expedition is the first environmental project of its kind to take an intimate, often scientifically focused, look at the health of the world’s oceans and the impact of global climate change on local environments and ecosystems. The project, organized by Sailors for the Sea (Newport, Rhode Island and Boston, Mass.) in partnership with the Pacific Science Center (Seattle, Washington), has received major funding from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Unilever.

The Passage – Incredible Accomplishment of Epic Proportions

At 0835 local time (1335Z) Friday, August 28, 2009, Ocean Watch sailed to its most northern point, 73°53′.034 on her voyage Around the Americas. As Captain Mark Schrader notes, "Virtually all sailing for the next four months will be south and east toward Cape Horn, approximately 8,000 nautical miles from our current position. The Bering Strait was our western most point, the horn of Brazil will be the eastern point and Cape Horn will be our most southern point. As milestones go, the northern point makes this a big day."

One day before, on Thursday, August 29, Schrader reported that the previous day the "sea temperature was below freezing but currently was a full four degrees warmer – a great indicator that our ice days are over, at least for awhile."

As the crew compared notes about the last few days of the expedition and discussed things to come, Schrader shares that "the interesting part of this was how we’d all avoided talking about what might happen after Bellot Strait or Peel Sound because it was by no means certain that we’d make it out of either and into Lancaster Sound and Baffin Bay – this year."

While Ocean Watch made its way toward Bellot Strait she encountered very heavy ice that was unpredicted as well as most of the surface water between the ice floes being either frozen or in the process of freezing. Schrader recounts, "Each bay we passed was chock full of ice – that’s precisely how boats for the past 300 years found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly bound into an arctic winter, something none of us wanted to experience.  Whether we all thought it was tempting fate, bad luck or just plain silly to talk about actually making it out of the historically difficult part of the Passage it was interesting that the crew of Ocean Watch were all on the same mental page. By our count only six small boats in the recorded history of the Passage have made it from the west to the east through Bellot Strait, pretty thin company and significantly poor odds on making it – which made our breakfast sunshine in Creswell Harbor even more enjoyable for all."

Northwest Passage Notables

Since departing Seattle in May, the Ocean Watch crew, four professional sailors, a scientist and an educator:

• completed eights planned ports of call and additional stops along the way
• participated in several research projects (see release dated August 18, "Deployment of Research Buoys in the Arctic by Around the Americas Project Aids Collection of Data on Changing Oceans and Consequences of Global Warming")
• weighed anchor in protective inlets and harbors along the route as they sought refuge from nature and unpredictable turns in weather
• shared poignant moments with residents they meet throughout the transit through the Northwest Passage

These interactions recounted personal observations and perspectives, and real-time accounts of the impact of climate change on local ecosystems in recent years and across generations. Many of these observations and those of the Ocean Watch crew are recorded and chronicled in the daily logs, along with photographic images and video, which are all available at www.aroundtheamericas.org.

Referring to early explorers, Schrader notes, "Sailing into these waters from the east with no real charts, only wind for power and a useless compass for navigating makes me shudder."

With the satellite communication equipment and services provided by Iridium Satellite LLC (Iridium) and Stratos Global Corp. (Stratos), the crew of Ocean Watch had the unprecedented capability for voice and high-speed data connections throughout the entire transit of the Northwest Passage. These communications capabilities will continue throughout the entire circumnavigation. "Faced with some of the most demanding marine environments during the first leg of this expedition, the crew of Ocean Watch was provided with the ability to transmit reports and images, and connectivity for calls with families and supporters," said Jim Parm, president and CEO, Stratos. "The deployment of Iridium OpenPort during the first leg of this expedition is testament to global capabilities of the mobile satellite system that will carry the communications responsibilities of this expedition over the next 10 months."

Chance for the Public to Learn First Hand the Expedition’s Findings

St. John’s, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, has a long and prosperous history in the fishing industry. It is the oldest established city in North America and has long been a place of business for European fishing fleets, and a safe haven for ships caught in storms at sea. The city, known as a centre of ocean excellence, is a leading centre for the oil and gas industry in Eastern Canada.

The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland will host Ocean Watch, scheduled to arrive St. John’s on Friday, September 11 and remain docked in the St. John’s Harbor at Pier 11 until it departs on September 15.

On Sunday, September 13, 1-4 p.m., following a day of preparation and provisioning in advance of its sail to the next port stop (Halifax, NS), the crew of Ocean Watch invites the public to an open house event – dockside at Pier 11 across from the Fortis Building – to see the vessel and to meet crewmembers. The open house will include a dockside exhibit tent with marine science demonstrations for all ages conducted by Around the Americas educator Zeta Strickland from the Pacific Science Center. These events, along with a photographic presentation, narrated by the crew of Ocean Watch about the challenging transit of the Northwest Passage to document the most recent impacts of climate change, and lecture about the history of Newfoundland and Labrador’s marine economy, scheduled for 5 p.m., September 14 at the Marine Institute’s Hampton Hall, are open to the public.

"The Marine Institute is proud to welcome the Ocean Watch to St. John’s and I want to thank the captain and crew for making St. John’s the first port visit on the eastern North American leg of their trip," said Glenn Blackwood, executive director, Marine Institute. "The Marine Institute is honored to host a group of individuals who are dedicated to protecting and restoring our oceans and coastal waters. As Canada’s foremost oceans-related post-secondary institution, we appreciate the crew’s efforts to promote safe environmental practices in the water and we look forward to discussing the data they have collected regarding the health of the world’s oceans."

Ocean Watch will continue to traverse the east and west coasts of North and South America over the next 10 months. Daily reports of their progress are filed from the boat along with photos and video. Opportunities to meet the crew exist during the planned port visits. The daily reports, images and current port schedule are available at www.aroundtheamericas.org.

About the Funding Organizations

Established in 2000, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations working in two main program areas: the environment and the arts. The Foundation’s environmental conservation program promotes responsible mining, healthy marine ecosystems, the enhancement of urban environments and the preservation of culturally significant landmarks. In addition, the Foundation fosters design excellence by supporting organizations dedicated to the decorative arts. For more information on The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, please visit www.tiffanyandcofoundation.org.

Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs nearly 12,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2008. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.

The Rockefeller Family – advocates for environmental protection. For almost 40 years, the Rockefeller Family has worked at the cutting edge of advocacy in such areas as environmental protection, advancing the economic rights of women, and helping citizens hold public and private institutions accountable for their action. The Family is best known for its creative and leveraged grantmaking, its role as a catalyst in the nonprofit as well as the funding communities, and its record of public policy innovation.

The Osberg Family Trust is a Pacific Northwest family foundation.

About Around the Americas

Around the Americas is an historic 25,000-mile clockwise-circumnavigation of the North and South American continents, never before undertaken in continuous fashion. The sailboat, equipped with some of the latest technology, along with scientists and educators who join during various legs of the voyage, is making 31 stopovers in 13 months to draw attention to the changing condition of the oceans. With major funding support from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Unilever, a non-profit consortium has been formed to make the public more aware of the plight of our oceans. The project was developed by Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit organization that educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters, in partnership with Pacific Science Center, a nationally recognized leader in informal science and environmental education. The crew includes Captain Mark Schrader, a world-record-holding, solo circumnavigator and ocean race director, and three talented, experienced, professional sailors, who all care about ocean conservation. Daily updates of the voyage and posted from the boat are available at www.aroundtheamericas.org.

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Deployment of Research Buoys in the Arctic by Around the Americas Project

Aids Collection of Data on Changing Oceans and Consequences of Global Warming

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

NATIONAL NEWS RELEASE

August 18, 2009

SEATTLE-Now traversing the Northwest Passage, the Ocean Watch crew – four professional sailors, a scientist and an educator – recently completed the deployment of three NOAA Global Drifter Program buoys. Dr. Ignatius Rigor, research scientist at the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory (UW-APL) Polar Science Center and Coordinator of the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP) is directing these activities. This project, one of 8 scientific projects planned throughout the 13-month Around the Americas expedition, focuses specifically on the polar regions of the 25,000-mile circumnavigation of North and South America and will further support the expedition’s mission of highlighting the changing conditions of our oceans.

With major funding from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, the Around the Americas expedition is the first of its kind, taking an intimate, often scientifically-focused look at the health of the world’s oceans and the impact of global climate change on local environments and ecosystems. The converted 64′ sailboat namedOcean Watch serves as a research platform to collect data and test new field methods on its unusual and sometimes remote expedition. Ten scientists from seven institutions (UW-APL, the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO), RMR Co., MIT Sea Grant, NASA, Western Washington University, and Yale University) have placed a diverse suite of instruments on board Ocean Watch to collect "datasets of opportunity" throughout the expedition. Their research spans topics ranging from sea ice and weather to jellyfish populations and underwater sound: all projects contribute to the understanding of changing conditions in the atmosphere and ocean.

Rigor notes that "observations from ships provide a wealth of information that helps us understand our oceans and climate, especially in the data sparse Arctic" and says "Ocean Watch has been providing data that enhances the weather and sea ice forecasts."

International Arctic Buoy Program Details and Achievements
Tracked by satellite and weighing approximately 45 pounds, each buoy is equipped with sensors to measure air pressure and surface temperature – data widely used by both weather and ice forecasters. Since 1979, the IABP has deployed nearly 1000 buoys. In 2008, data from the buoys played an instrumental role in having the polar bear listed on the threatened species list.

After approximately two years, the IABP buoys stop transmitting their location and are typically lost. However,  the crew of Ocean Watch recently retrieved one of the IABP buoys deployed in 2006 from an island in the Chukchi Sea, where it was beached near Barrow, Alaska. The tracking device on the buoy was still working and Rigor noted the instrument’s exact coordinates. Ice and satellite data provided by the UW-APL, the National Ice Center, and the Canadian Ice Service, which form the North American Ice Service (NAIS), were critical in helping with this recovery. The buoy will be sent to Christian Michelsen Research in Norway for refurbishing and redeployment.

After a brief stay in Cambridge Bay, Ocean Watch will continue to traverse the Northwest Passage, en route to the next scheduled stop in Resolute, Nunavut. Daily reports of their progress are filed from the boat along with photos and video at www.aroundtheamericas.org.  The non-profit program is co-produced bySailors for the Sea in Boston and Pacific Science Center in Seattle.

About Around the Americas
Around the Americas is an historic 25,000-mile clockwise-circumnavigation of the North and South American continents, never before undertaken in continuous fashion. The sailboat, equipped with some of the latest technology, along with scientists and educators who join during various legs of the voyage, is making 31 stopovers in 13 months to draw attention to the changing condition of the oceans. With major funding support from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, a non-profit consortium has been formed to make the public more aware of the plight of our oceans. Developed by Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit organization that educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters, in partnership with Pacific Science Center, a nationally-recognized leader in informal science and environmental education. The crew includes Captain Mark Schrader, a world-record-holding, solo circumnavigator and ocean race director, and three talented, experienced, professional sailors, who all care about ocean conservation. Daily updates of the voyage are being posted from the boat atwww.aroundtheamericas.org.

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Photo Caption
Researcher Bryan Reeves (foreground) and Captain Mark Schrader examine a research buoy that is recording date on ice and weather conditions in the Arctic Ocean during their voyage through the Northwest Passage on the sailboat Ocean Watch.  Around the Americas is a 25,000-mile expedition around North and South America to draw attention to the changing conditions of the ocean around us.www.aroundtheamericas.org

Expedition Funded by Rockefeller Family and Tiffany Foundation Heads Into The Northwest Passage

Around the Americas crew aboard Ocean Watch hopes for a safe journey through Amundsen Gulf

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

FOR NATIONAL RELEASE
Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Ocean Conservation Expedition Funded by Rockefeller Family and Tiffany Foundation Heads Into The Northwest Passage – A Melting Frontier

Around the Americas  project demonstrates global warming and climate change impacts on the environments and ecosystems, its Ocean Watch crew departs Barrow, hopes for a safe journey through the ice encrusted Amundsen Gulf

SEATTLE— After eight weeks at sea following its departure on May 31 from Seattle, the crew of Ocean Watch – the 64-foot steel-hulled sailboat – representing the 13 month- long Around the Americas expedition has turned east into the ice-filled Northwest Passage after travelling a predominently northerly course.

The Realities of the Navigating the Northwest Passage
The expedition is focused on the realities of global warming and climate change. Captain Mark Schrader describes in the latest Captain’s Log what the boat and crew face as they enter the Northwest Passage.

“(Sunday) at 0745 the anchor was up and Ocean Watch headed to Point Barrow, approximately 8nm to the north.  At Point Barrow we make a sharp turn east, exit the Chukchi Sea, enter the Beaufort Sea and finally point our bow into the Northwest Passage. With Cambridge Bay roughly 1050nm (nautical miles) due east and still blocked by ice in Amundsen Gulf. We’ll make several stops along the way while waiting for the forecast mid-August breakup.

“The next community with a sheltered harbor, fuel and services with enough depth for OW [Ocean Watch] is Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk), 490nm down the line.  All of our ice reports indicate the passage from here to Tuk is currently open.  The predicted winds for the next few days should keep the ice away from the shore and leave plenty of room for us.  If the conditions change we have some options; Thetis Island, Stockton Island, Kaktovik and Herschel Island can all afford some protection from wind and ice. Herschel Island with its long and rich whaling and over-wintering-for-stranded-sailors-history is on our ‘must visit’ list.

Ocean Watch is carrying the message of the Around the Americas expedition that the oceans surrounding North and South America are very fragile and we need to be aware of the problems and make changes in our lives to help correct them. Led by Captain Mark Schrader, the first American to solo circumnavigate the earth via the five southern capes, the 25,000-mile voyage will be one of only about 100 boats to have travelled through the Northwest Passage in the past 100 years.  This crossing is testament to the warming of the Arctic Ocean and the global climate changes that the expedition is observing.

Schrader continues in the Log, “Writing this was just interrupted by a whale sighting off the bow, then a Polar Bear sighting on the beach. The beach is a little less than 1/3 nm away, the bear appears to be sleeping.  The helmsperson also just announced we’re finally turning east.  Ocean Watch hasn’t sailed an easterly course since leaving Seattle, some 3,400nm and 8-weeks ago.  This is a significant waypoint for us – we’re now truly going ‘over the top’ and into the Passage.”

With a permanent crew of four experienced sailors, a scientist and educator on board, Ocean Watch will traverse the treacherous frozen waters of the Northwest Passage for the next four to six weeks making scientific observations and collecting information for the online curriculum.  Daily reports of their progress are filed from the boat along with photos and video at www.aroundtheamericas.org.  Co-produced bySailors for the Sea and Pacific Science Center in Seattle, the expedition has received major funding from Tiffany & Co. Foundation.

About Around the Americas
Around the Americas is an historic 25,000-mile clockwise-circumnavigation of the North and South American continents, never before undertaken in continuous fashion. The sailboat, equipped with some of the latest technology, along with scientists and educators who join during various legs of the voyage, is making 31 stopovers in 13 months to draw attention to the changing condition of the oceans. With major funding support from Tiffany & Co. Foundation, a non-profit consortium has been formed to make the public more aware of the plight of our oceans. Around the Americas was developed by Sailors for the Sea, a non-profit organization that educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters, in partnership with Pacific Science Center, a nationally-recognized leader in informal science and environmental education. The crew includes Captain Mark Schrader, a world-record-holding, solo circumnavigator and ocean race director, and three talented, experienced, professional sailors, who all care about ocean conservation. Daily updates of the voyage are being posted from the boat at www.aroundtheamericas.org.

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Public Events Announced for Nome, Alaska

Ocean Watch to visit from June 30 to July 4

Monday, June 29, 2009

The following schedule of special events will happen during Ocean Watch’s visit to Nome, Alaska.

July 2, 10am, Nome Library – Crew is visiting children’s reading group at the library
July 2, 2-6pm, Small Boat Harbor – Open house at the harbor including boat tours, research equipment demos and our dockside interpretive tent
July 2, 7pm, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Interpretive Center – Slideshow from photographer and member of the crew, David Thoreson, followed by screening of "A Sea Change: Imagine A World Without Fish", a new documentary on ocean acidification. The Interpretive Center is located in the Sitnasuak Building at 214 Front. St.

Ocean Watch departs Seattle in grand style

A voice from the crowd as crew begins 13 month journey

Monday, June 01, 2009

June 1, 2009 – Seattle

Spectacular warm weather, ambitious motivated crew, hundreds of admiring fans and supporters made for an epic departure for Ocean Watch on her Around the America’s mission yesterday. For those who missed it, condolences, you should have been there. Dock lines were cast off at 12:00, just as planned. The departure celebration was a great success as the crew was sent off to the sounds of bagpipes. Ocean Watch was welcomed to open water by a Seattle fireboat with great plumes of water. Kudos to the crew for this monumental accomplishment. Ocean Watch is due to arrive at its first international port, Victoria, British Columbia, by the end of today.

Fair winds and following seas to all aboard Ocean Watch.
- Les Valsquier, IT Consultant
For more information about the departure of Ocean Watch please see the following story.http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2009/05/31/news/ocean-watch-begins-its-voyage-and-research