NGOs partnerships
Mercator Ocean International is proud to collaborate with NGOs that are actively leading impactful projects to protect marine ecosystems. By providing scientific expertise, data, and tools, we support these organisations in their efforts to conserve the Ocean, raise awareness, and drive sustainable practices.
Children for the Oceans
Since 2018, Mercator Ocean International has supported the NGO Children for the Oceans (CFTO) by providing scientific expertise and data from the Copernicus Marine Service. CFTO, co-created by Thomas Lesage at the age of 14, focuses on raising awareness about ocean issues such as acidification, overfishing, and plastic contamination. With Mercator Ocean’s help, CFTO developed educational tools, including plastic drift simulations and visual aids, which are used by its network of ocean ambassadors to deliver accurate oceanographic information during awareness sessions worldwide. Mercator Ocean has also collaborated with CFTO at international events such as World Oceans Day, the European Parliament’s launch of the Blue Book for a Sustainable Ocean, and European Space Week. These partnerships aim to promote ocean literacy and influence policymakers toward sustainable marine conservation.
Coral Guardian
Coral Guardian, founded in 2012, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to coral reef conservation through innovative restoration techniques and community engagement. Operating in France, Indonesia, and Spain, the organisation has:
- Restored over 72,046 corals
- Involved 10,891 local people in conservation programmes
- Raised awareness among 11 million people
- Increased fish populations by multiple times
Since 2019, Mercator Ocean International has supported Coral Guardian by providing scientific resources from the Copernicus Marine Service, including oceanographic parameter visualisations. Guided by the principle “Involve me and I learn,” the NGO focuses on empowering local communities and raising global awareness about marine ecosystem protection.
Other NGOs supported
Over the years, Mercator Ocean International has partnered with various NGOs to address critical marine challenges. From tackling plastic pollution to advancing climate research, these collaborations leverage our oceanographic expertise and Copernicus Marine Service data to empower meaningful conservation actions worldwide.
Tara Ocean Expedition
The Tara Ocean Expedition, a long-time partner of Mercator Ocean, has travelled over 540,000 kilometres, conducting expeditions, collecting 76,450 samples, and educating 60,000 children. Mercator Ocean has supported Tara with real-time maps and data, and in 2022 we provided ocean animations for social media to raise awareness about our shared responsibility to protect the Ocean.
Sea Plastics association
The Sea Plastics association, founded in 2016 by AgroParisTech students, conducts annual expeditions in the Mediterranean to collect microplastics data and raise awareness. With support from Copernicus Marine Service, they use Ocean forecast information for sampling. In 2022, they received training on the MYOCEAN PRO tool to enhance their efforts.
7e Continent Expedition
In 2014, Mercator Ocean supported the 7e Continent Expedition, which aims to raise awareness about plastic waste in the Ocean. The expedition travels to the Pacific Gyre to study plastic accumulation using particle drift simulations and real-time data from Copernicus Marine. In June 2022, they partnered with the Blue Odyssey Initiative for coastal protection efforts.
OceanoScientific association
The OceanoScientific association conducts sailing expeditions to collect data in remote Ocean areas, focusing on atmosphere-ocean interactions and climate change. Led by Yvan Griboval, the 2016–2017 campaign explored the Southern Ocean. Recent missions include studying Mediterranean contaminants (2020) and a 2022 expedition to the Indian Ocean aboard LOVE THE OCEAN, targeting climate research.
Emily Penn’s Round the World eXXpeditions
Between 2018 and 2020, Mercator Ocean sponsored Emily Penn’s Round the World eXXpeditions, which aimed to study and raise awareness about plastic and toxic contamination in the Ocean. The 2019–2020 Round the World expedition covered 38,000 km, crossing four ocean gyres and the Arctic with over 300 women. Using Copernicus Marine Service data, Mercator Ocean provided a drift model illustrating the movement of Ocean plastics, a key tool for scientific research and public engagement. These expeditions built a global network of women tackling marine pollution through science, solutions, and advocacy.