SHARK TEAM ONE CORP

Research Expeditions - our research expeditions provide scientific study leading to increased worldwide protection of endangered species and ocean ecosystems. We also provide citizen science expeditions that educate students and adults about ocean issues, build advocacy and benefit local livelihoods. Annually our reach is 300 citizen scientists trained with 12,500 volunteer hours logged. Our program goals are to promote marine protected areas as valuable tools for ecosystem and species protection and stop further loss of endangered marine species by building advocacy in the hearts and minds of our citizen scientists and volunteers. Our training ensures each participant assists with our goals and in so doing they become lifelong advocates for endangered species survival and ocean conservation. This program also empowers sustainability initiatives, focuses on climate change resilience planning and promotes using technology for wildlife conservation with projects such as our AI for Earth partnership for our "Building Marine Wildlife Corridors for Sharks Using Artificial Intelligence" which categorizes, analyzes and catalogs our shark field survey data. We have successfully protected 28,695 hectares of ocean within this program, working with multiple government agencies, public stakeholders, educational and other NGO partners.

Endangered Whale Shark Conservation - specific threats we are addressing are ship strikes, injury from marine plastic pollution, fishing gear entanglement, inadequate marine reserves and overfishing. 1,603,570 people reached by conservation messaging, increased number of people taking action by 15,550. In this program we inspire families and children to become citizen scientists to help protect endangered species and create the future of conservation. We are also providing scientific study that has created increased protection for endangered whale sharks. Number of people engaged by community outreach programming is 385,000. Our "Heads Up Fins Up" Initiative seeks to curb impacts to whale sharks that are becoming severely injured or killed by ship strikes. This initiative is bridging the gap for enforcement in marine protected areas and asks corporate shipping and consumer goods companies to create less impact and follow established governmental and our conservation guidelines for reporting whale shark sightings, following zoning regulations and reducing speed through mapped whale shark aggregation areas. Our ichthyoplankton studies are first of their kind to involve local ecotourism operators and artisanal fishers in Mexico. Through our research, multiple government agencies have agreed to create marine protective corridors to protect the endangered sharks.