Polarquest for the Ocean Decade

Gathering sailors, scientists, and communicators for low-impact research expeditions across ONE OCEAN

Citizen science fOr the planet

Nurturing and educating the next generation to preserve our bluesphere

sailing fOr science

A unique combination of exploration, research, and outreach

Views from our expedition circumnavigating Svalbard

Record Latitute Microplastic Sampling

Nautical miles of Arctic Ocean Explored

MISSION

We are an international network of researchers, communicators, and explorers committed to advancing research, education, and sustainability on the Earth’s oceans. With our low-impact, low-cost research expeditions on sailboats, we do groundbreaking research on topics ranging from microplastic pollution to environmental DNA.

We have reached the remotest corners of the planet, from the edge of the North Pole to Antarctica. Our mission goes beyond discovery. We share our passion for science with everyone and through citizen science initiatives we engage the public in critical global issues threatening the health of our bluesphere.

What we offer

unique blend of research, engagement, and communication.

A FLEET FOR SCIENCE

Low-cost scientific expeditions on board lightweight low-impact sailboats across all oceans

citizen science

Bringing together scientists and volunteers to amplify the impact of scientific findings

science Communication

Sharing science and building lasting bridges between science and society

events

Connecting people with the oceans to promote sustainability, adaptation, and innovation

Our Fleet

ONE OCEAN, ONE FLEET: THE POWER OF LIGHTWEIGHT, SUSTAINABLE SAILING

Science on board

“The Science we need for the Ocean we want” is the motto of the Unesco Ocean Decade Initiative, highlighting science’s crucial role in preserving our oceans. Oceans cover 71% of our planet’s surface and hold 97% of its water. Home to over one million (known) species, oceans are essential to life on Earth, regulate our climate and weather, and protect us from global warming.

By contributing to science and engaging the youth and the public in the research process, we want to amplify the impact of scientific findings while promoting sustainability, collaboration, and innovation.

Our scientific programme includes sampling plastic and microplastic in the sea, drone mapping of plastic pollution along the coasts, satellite ground-truthing, eDNA sampling, drone mapping of uncharted land territories, cosmic ray measurements, and marine archeology.

featured News

Interview with Elias Meier

Interview with Elias Meier

A conversation with Elias Meier about the eDNA data collection during the PolarQuest2021 expedition and on the scientific results, which led to a publication in 2023.

read more

Get In Touch

15 + 9 =