International Seakeepers Society Inc

THE INTERNATIONAL SEAKEEPERS SOCIETY PROMOTES OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION THROUGH DIRECT INVOLVEMENT WITH THE YACHTING COMMUNITY. PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND HANDS-ON MARINE SCIENCE EXPERIENCES TO STUDENTS IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR ENSURING THE FUTURE WELLBEING OF OUR PLANET. SEAKEEPERS ENABLES THE YACHTING COMMUNITY TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THEIR UNIQUE POTENTIAL TO ADVANCE MARINE SCIENCES AND TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT GLOBAL OCEAN ISSUES.

VESSEL CHARTER PROGRAM - A YACHT OR TENDER DONATED TO SEAKEEPERS IS IMMEDIATELY DELIVERED TO A CHARTERING AGENT. CHARTER REVENUE IS PAID TO SEAKEEPERS OVER THREE YEARS, WITH A PURCHASING OPTION AFTER THE TERM IS OVER. THE CHARTERING PROGRAM EASES THE BURDEN OF SIGNIFICANT COSTS OF KEEPING DONATED VESSELS AND FACILITATES SEAKEEPERS' MISSION TO PRESERVE THE WORLD'S OCEANS AND OFFERS RESEARCH PLATFORMS TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.

DISCOVERY YACHT PROGRAM - DISCOVERY YACHTS ARE PRIVATELY OWNED VESSELS WHICH FACILITATE PROGRAMMING BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE OCEAN FOR RESEARCH, SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ARTISTIC INSPIRATION. FROM HOSTING LEARNING EXCURSIONS FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN TO FACILITATING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR GENOME SEQUENCING, YACHTS ARE THE PLATFORM TO ENABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. PROGRAMMING IS COMPRISED OF FOUR CATEGORIES: SCIENTIFIC-LED EXPEDITIONS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND CITIZEN SCIENCE.DURING 2022 SIXTY-EIGHT (68) ACTIVITIES WERE FULFILLED FROM HEADQUARTERS AS SUMMARIZED WITHIN EACH STRAND OF PROGRAMMING AS FOLLOWS. THIRTEEN (13) SCIENTIST-LED EXPEDITIONS WERE COMPLETED ON MEMBER YACHTS OF THE DISCOVERY YACHT FLEET AS WELL AS ON SEAKEEPERS PROGRAMMING VESSEL, "DISCOVERY". KEY LOCATIONS INCLUDED CALIFORNIA, ALASKA, AND FLORIDA. SEVEN (7) EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ACTIVITIES WERE COMPLETED IMPACTING STUDENTS FROM THIRD GRADE TO HIGH SCHOOL AGES WITH SHORELINE PROGRAMMING AND FLOATING CLASSROOMS. IT WAS THE INAUGURAL YEAR FOR THE TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOP IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGIA AQUARIUM WHICH HAD A SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH IN JULY WITH TEN TEACHERS IN ATTENDANCE AND AN EXPECTED IMPACT ON THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ABOUT MARINE CONSERVATION ISSUES. IN FEBRUARY OF 2022 SEAKEEPERS PARTNERED WITH THE NIPPON FOUNDATION-GEBCO ON THE SEABED 2030 PROJECT. LOGGERS INSTALLED ON VESSELS COLLECT DATA THAT IS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERALL EFFORTS OF THE PROJECT TO MAP THE ENTIRE OCEAN FLOOR BY 2030. SEVEN (7) CITIZEN SCIENCE TRIPS WERE COMPLETED WITH SINGLE AND MULTIPLE INSTALLATIONS OF LOGGERS ABOARD ALL TYPES OF VESSELS RESULTING IN 30+ LOGGERS ASSIGNED BY DECEMBER. DATA COLLECTION IS CONTINUOUS AS THESE VESSELS TRAVEL AROUND THE GLOBE. SEAKEEPERS WAS VERY ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WITH THIRTY-ONE (31) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS ENCOMPASSING A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FROM BEACH CLEAN-UPS TO FORUMS THAT FOSTERED DIALOGUE BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LEADERS. THESE GATHERINGS PRESENTED AN INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS, DISCUSS ISSUES, AND WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS CREATING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. THE SEAKEEPERS ASIA CHAPTER IN SINGAPORE EMERGED FROM PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS AND WAS ABLE TO RESUME EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES LIKE THE #BRINGOURTURTLESBACK CAMPAIGN, RAISING AWARENESS AND FUNDS TO PROTECT THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES OF TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA. IN THE FALL, THEY HOSTED THEIR FIRST OCEAN COLLECTIVE SUMMIT FOLLOWED BY THE FIFTH ANNUAL ASIA AWARDS DINNER AFTER A TWO-YEAR HIATUS. SEAKEEPERS ASIA CONTINUES TO LEAD THE WAY IN MARINE PRESERVATION AND EDUCATION IN THE REGION.