Ocean Voyages Institute

OCEAN VOYAGES INSTITUTE WAS FOUNDED IN 1979 AND WAS ENGAGED IN LOCAL AND GLOBAL SAIL-TRAINING PROGRAMS UNTIL 2009 WHEN OVI DID OUR FIRST MAJOR MONTH-LONG EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE. SINCE THAT EXPEDITION OUR FOCUS HAS BECOME ENACTING SOLUTIONS TO CLEANUP OF THE TOXIC PLASTIC PROLIFERATION BESIEGING OUR GLOBAL OCEAN.DURING 2023, OUR MAJOR EMPHASIS HAS BECOME COMPLETING THE DESIGN PHASE AND WORKING ON FUNDING TWO CUSTOM DESIGNED SAILING CARGO SHIPS FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF EFFECTIVELY REMOVING PLASTICS FROM OUR OCEAN.OUR OCEAN CLEANUP EFFORTS IN THE NORTH PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AREA, (NORTH PACIFIC GYRE) HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN REMOVING PLASTIC CONSUMER DEBRIS AND PLASTIC GHOSTNETS FROM THIS REGION. WE HAVE FOUND BY USING BOTH SAILING SHIPS AND MOTOR VESSELS, THAT USING WINDPOWER MAKES THE EXPEDITIONS MUCH MORE ECOLOGICAL AND ALLOWS US MORE REASONABLE PRICING TO DO THE MASSIVE REMOVAL OF PLASTICS NECESSARY FOR OCEAN REMEDIATION/CLEANUP. WE CONTINUE OUR BELIEVE IN USING OUR GPS SATELLITE TRACKERS FOR VESSELS OF OPPORTUNITY TO TAG GHOSTNETS AND OTHER LARGE DEBRIS ALLOWING FOR EXTREMELY EFFICIENT CLEANUP. OUR VOYAGES HAVE BROUGHT IN OVER 800,000 POUNDS OF TOXIC PLASTICS AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE PROVEN THAT OUR METHODS WORK AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SCALING UP OUR EFFORTS WITH ADDITIONAL VESSELS. IN 2023 WE CONTINUED OUR LECTURES AND PHOTOS AND FILMS DISTRIBUTED GLOBALLY TO HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF OCEAN RESTORATION AND THE HEALTH OF OUR OCEAN FOR OUR OCEAN HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET.A HIGH POINT OF OUR YEAR WAS ATTENDING THE OCEANS LIMERICK CONFERENCE IN IRELAND WHICH HAD AN AUDIENCE OF SCIENTISTS, GLOBAL MARITIME COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES. OUR PRESENTATION SHOWING OUR CLEANUP EXPEDITIONS WERE OF GREAT INTEREST TO THIS AUDIENCE WHICH INCLUDED A LARGE MIXTURE OF PEOPLE FROM THROUGHOUT EUROPE, ASIA, THE USA, ETC IN A TRULY GLOBAL AUDIENCE.IN 2025 AND BEYOND WE EXPECT TO BE CONTINUING OUR CLEANUPS IN THE NORTH PACIFIC GYRE DURING THE SUMMER SEASONS AND ADDING CLEANUPS IN THE PANAMA/COSTA RICA/COLUMBIA AND GALAPAGOS ISLAND AREAS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS.WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVE CONTINUING SUCCESS IN FULFILLING OUR COMMITMENT THAT 100% OF THE PLASTIC WE REMOVE FROM THE OCEAN IS UPCYCLED/RECYCLED/REPURPOSED . WE ARE COMMITTED TO INSURING NONE OF THE PLASTIC ENDS UP BACK IN THE OCEAN OR IN A LANDFILL. IN ADDITION TO OUR DIRECT REMOVAL WORK OF COLLECTING DERELICT FISHING GEAR AND CONSUMER DEBRIS AS WELL AS DORIES, SKIFFS AND SMALL VESSELS FOUND IN THE GYRE AREAS. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING PLASTICS OUT OF OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, RIVERS, BEACHES, OCEANS, ETC. OCEAN VOYAGES INSTITUTE EDUCATES THROUGH LECTURES, FILM, ATTENDING & PARTICIPATING IN VARIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCEAN CONFERENCES/EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA AND COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS OTHER NON-PROFITS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WE WORK WITH A NETWORK OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND INTERNATIONALLY. WE OFFER INFORMATION AND COLLABORATION WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS. EDUCATING THE PUBLIC THOUGH LECTURES, EVENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA, INFORMATIVE FILM & VIDEO PUBLICATIONS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY OCEAN FOR OUR OWN HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF OUR PLANET. OUR EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED BOTH ON STOPPING THE FLOW OF PLASTICS INTO THE OCEAN AND TO ENCOURAGE MORE CLEAN UPS, IN PARKS, RIVERS, BEACHES, AT SEA,AND MID-OCEAN. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF DISPOSABLE PLASTICS THAT ARE UTILIZED IN OUR WORLD AND ULTIMATELY END UP IN OUR OCEAN. WE NEED TO LIMIT WAYS OF USING PLASTIC FOR THINGS WE KEEP AND DO NOT DISPOSE OF SUCH AS RAILROAD TIES, CONSTRUCTION, INSULATION BOARDS, ETC. AND STOP THE PROLIFERATION OF THROW AWAY PLASTIC KNIVES, FORKS, PLATES, CUPS, BAGS, ETC.AND THE DESTRUCTIVE NETS THAT LAST FOR DECADES.OUR OCEAN IS BECOMING CLOGGED WITH OUR GARBAGE, MOST SPECIFICALLY PLASTIC GARBAGE/DEBRIS. AT THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON OCEANS IN JUNE OF 2017, THE PLASTIC DEBRIS IN OUR OCEAN WAS CONSIDERED THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE FACING US TODAY. THE HEALTH OF OUR OCEANS ARE DETERIORATING AND OCEAN CREATURES RANGING FROM FISH TO SEA TURTLES TO PORPOISES TO WHALES ARE BEING KILLED BY OUR PLASTIC GARBAGE. WE ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSING PARTICULARLY ON THE AREA OF GHOST NETS AND ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH TEAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AND ELSEWHERE. IN ADDITION TO OUR ACTIVE OCEAN CLEANUP WORK, OUR THINK TANK CONTINUES TO WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOST EFFICIENT METHODS OF OCEAN CLEAN UP EQUIPMENT FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF OCEAN PLASTICS. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR FILM FOOTAGE AND PROJECTS ON OUR DOCUMENTARY FILM PROJECTS AND FILM CLIPS USED FOR LECTURES AND GENERAL EDUCATION. WE GIVE PRESENTATIONS RANGING FROM GROUPS SUCH AS THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN GEOGRAPHERS TO SCHOOL GROUPS AT ALL LEVELS TO YACHT CLUBS AND AT A RANGE OF OCEAN EVENTS. WE WORK WITH AND COLLABORATE WITH EXPERTS AROUND THE WORLD TO ADVOCATE FOR SUCCESSFUL AT SEA CLEANUPS. WE ALSO CONTINUE OUR LOCAL WORK ON PRESERVING THE MARITIME HISTORY OF SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA WHERE WE ARE BASED AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD SUCH AS THE ADRIATIC SEA, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS,ETC...