OceanX Annual Report

OceanX Annual Report

OceanX Annual Report

Dive In
A Message From Our CoFounder Mark Dalio

Dear colleagues, partners, and friends,

I’m excited to share our second OceanX annual report having recently returned from our new vessel, OceanXplorer, as it explored the Azores for the "OceanXplorers" TV series co-produced by OceanX Media, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, and James Cameron for National Geographic. It’s both surreal and humbling to be aboard this vessel, experiencing its one-of-a-kind exploration and media capabilities as they go from years-long dream to reality.

Launching OceanXplorer was a gargantuan task and our most significant milestone in 2020. Not only did it mark the beginning of a new era, it was executed by a tremendous team in the midst of a global pandemic. After setting sail in September, OceanXplorer made a bee-line for the Red Sea for a historic inaugural mission: the first-ever detailed marine survey of the Northern Red Sea. Over a month of research, our incredible team made startling discoveries, many of which will be announced in the coming months. The Northern Red Sea is largely unexplored, and without our collaboration with our Saudi Arabian partners from NEOM and the KAUST Institute, it would have stayed that way.

From the Red Sea, OceanXplorer dashed across the Atlantic, navigating enormous swells before making a pit stop in New York City, where it was introduced to the world live on Good Morning America. After its TV debut, the ship headed south to the Caribbean to prepare for the arrival of the team for “OceanXplorers.” Our biggest mission to date, this global multi-platform series perfectly represents the OceanX mission: to connect daring scientists and adventurers with incredible marine technology and inspire audiences around the globe.

We hope you enjoy the below sampling of just some of what we’ve been up to, and if you want to dive even deeper, there’s tons of content from past missions on our Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. If what you see inspires you, please get in touch—we’d love to partner with you.

Mark Dalio

PS- If you’d like a preview of what we’ve been up to, Good Morning America featured OceanXplorer in a segment while it was in the Azores last month. The ship recently completed a journey to Norway with a very special group of young explorers on board—members of our inaugural Young Explorers Program, part of our efforts to increase ocean awareness and opportunities in marine fields for young people of all backgrounds; we also recently launched a partnership with Crayola that will bring OceanX content to Crayola Experience centers across the US. 



Contents

i. The launch of OceanXplorer

ii. A new series with National Geographic

iii. Bringing discoveries to social and digital

iv. Revealing secrets in the Red Sea

v. The power of partnerships

The launch of
OceanXplorer

The launch of
OceanXplorer

On September 24th, 2020, we launched OceanXplorer, a vessel years in the making that begins a new era for OceanX by dramatically expanding our ability to push the limits of ocean exploration and storytelling.

OceanXplorer is a floating bucket list from the minds of marine biologists, explorers, and storytellers, outfitted with a number of novel technologies being deployed for the first time ever. Its launch opens a world of possibility for new missions and collaborations that we hope will inspire the next generation’s passion for and commitment to Earth’s oceans. 

4 Deep Sea Vehicles

4 Onboard Labs

6000m Max Depth

The Ship

A petroleum survey ship turned exploration vessel, OceanXplorer is designed to expand the boundaries of human knowledge and tell the story of the ocean in captivating ways. With media-optimized deep sea vehicles, chemical and biological sampling tools, and a centralized data integration system and media center, OceanXplorer combines the kinds of best-in-class technologies you’d find in both an advanced research institute and a Hollywood film studio.

The ship’s production capabilities and underwater optical modem—developed in partnership with renowned filmmaker and ocean explorer James Cameron—enable us to live stream from the subs to viewers back on land.

In the years ahead, we aim to fully utilize these unique capabilities to bring about a revolution in ocean discovery and awareness.

[Watch] How We Explore The Oceans

Presenting: OceanXplorers

Presenting: OceanXplorers

This winter, OceanXplorer  welcomed aboard a talented global team and entered the first phase of production for the most ambitious ocean adventure series ever filmed. From BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Blue Planet II), OceanX Media, and National Geographic Explorer at Large James Cameron, OceanXplorers will document the journey of a handpicked team of pioneers, scientists, and filmmakers capable of unraveling our ocean’s greatest mysteries. OceanXplorers will reach mass audiences on television and streaming services through National Geographic channels worldwide.

OceanXplorers: In Detail

Using the series as a base, OceanX is building several programs to accelerate impact and expand audiences through live classes off the ship, original digital series, social media updates, virtual and real world experiences, VR/AR, and other activations designed to drive positive changes that protect our oceans for generations to come.  

Our programs will focus on six key themes:  Marine Protected Areas, Coral, The Deep, Sustainability, Human Impact/Climate Change, and Marine Mammals.

There are many opportunities to participate in OceanXplorers: IMPACT programming, and we look forward to working with both new and ongoing partners to continue to bring this initiative to life.

Bringing discoveries to social and digital 

Bringing discoveries to social and digital 

In 2020, we brought the ocean to our widest audience yet. 

Utilizing everything from films to filters, our social media team reached a global audience in the hundreds of millions across Instagram, Weibo, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Our 2 million followers, ranging from scientific experts to casual ocean lovers, came to our platforms daily and discovered premium video, interesting stories, daily facts and even live feeds from the OceanXplorer

Breaking Ocean News || Explainer Videos, Cool Stories
Live Interviews || With Experts & Partners
Field Notes || Dispatches From OceanXplorer
Fun Facts || Delivered Via Emerging Formats 

2M+ Followers

379M Views

11 Instagram Filters

700+ Content Pieces

Revealing The Red Sea 

Revealing The Red Sea 

On OceanXplorer's maiden voyage, we journeyed to the northern Red Sea in and around the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, a biodiversity hotspot with climate change resistant coral communities that before this mission had never been subject to a comprehensive international scientific survey.

Overview

Through a historic collaboration between Saudi Arabian institutions and OceanX, we led the first-ever comprehensive exploration of the region, ranging from deep sea to shallow reefs, from oceanography to microbiology and from mapping to genetics.

Over 960 hours of exploration and 41 days of submersible & ROV dives, we documented countless reasons why the area is an invaluable ecosystem deserving of special care through marine protected areas and management.

We shared our discoveries with international leaders at the G-20 through a video supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies' Vibrant Oceans Initiative and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

[WATCH] Will these corals help us save the world's reefs?

1st

ROV and submersible survey of the region

ROV and submersible survey of the region

2

species previously not observed in this habitat

species previously not observed in this habitat

3

shipwrecks discovered

shipwrecks discovered

4

critical species tagged

critical species tagged

5

deep sea species discovered

deep sea species discovered

4307

km of new seafloor mapped

km of new seafloor mapped

1st

ROV and submersible survey of the region

2

species previously not observed in this habitat

3

shipwrecks discovered

4

critical species tagged

5

deep sea species discovered

4307

km of new seafloor mapped

Mission Outcomes

High resolution 3D map of deep seabed

Discovered deep sea pinnacles, canyons & brine pools

Provided proof of a diversity of megafauna (sharks, swordfish, turtles, whale sharks)

Recorded rich biodiversity of corals, fishes and mesophotic reefs

Detailed surveys of three unexplored islands

152 sightings of megafauna

Identified critical habitat for vulnerable species

Extended known range of over 20 species

Recorded over 535 hours of footage (mostly 8K)

The Power Of Partnerships

The Power Of Partnerships

From the very start, we have seen firsthand the power of partnerships to create meaningful change—and 2020 only reaffirmed our commitment to working with leaders in marine science, conservation, and exploration to do more than any single organization could do alone.

We advanced public understanding of the ocean with NOAA, spread education and conservation globally with the Paradise Foundation, furthered marine protection efforts with Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute and collaborated with The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies' Vibrant Oceans Initiative to increase awareness of ocean conservation for global policy makers and the public.

NOAA

Advancing Ocean Exploration And Mapping

NOAA joins OceanX to advance ocean exploration and mapping, a collaboration designed to improve public understanding of the ocean.

“NOAA is forging new partnerships such as the one with OceanX to accelerate our mission to explore and characterize the ocean, understand its key role in regulating our weather and climate, and sustainably manage and use its valuable resources to power the American Blue Economy." - NOAA

The Paradise Foundation

Taking Ocean Exploration And Education Around The World

Along with The Paradise Foundation, a nonprofit environmental conservation organization based in China, we have announced a formal multi-year partnership to distribute OceanX’s cutting-edge media content to audiences across China. We'll work together to co-produce augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) content captured aboard OceanXplorer.

“At OceanX, we are on a mission to explore the ocean and bring it back to the world, and we love working with others who can help us create one big wave of global interest in and support for our oceans.” - Ray Dalio, co-Founder

GMGI

Promoting Ocean Exploration And Marine Protection 

We have partnered with Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute to advance cutting-edge ocean exploration, marine conservation and scientific research. The partnership will bring together the advanced genomic capabilities of GMGI with the sophisticated exploration, media and storytelling abilities of OceanX.

“We are ecstatic to be pursuing a partnership with Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, an organization dedicated to addressing the challenges facing our oceans, human health and the environment through groundbreaking scientific research.” - Vincent Pieribone, Vice Chairman

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Collaborating To Further Research With Critical Ocean Data

Ocean preservation is at the core of the missions undertaken by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation since its inception in 2006, from coral reef conservation to the development of Marine Protected Areas. Thanks to the collaboration with OceanX, scientific missions will be conducted to better understand and protect the ocean and its ecosystems.

“The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is really proud to partner with the Dalio family whose passion and talent for showcasing the treasures of the sea is a real added value to inspire people and raise awareness.” - The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

Beyond Blue: The Ocean Exploration Video Game 

Beyond Blue: The Ocean Exploration Video Game 

In partnership with E-Line Media, we launched a new aquatic adventure game, Beyond Blue, available across gaming platforms. In the game, you play as Mirai, a deep sea explorer and scientist. You and your research team must use cutting-edge technology to explore the vast depths of the ocean, deploying different tools to hear, see and interact with dozens of sea creatures.

Beyond Blue is a great example of how we use innovative partnerships to create an outsized impact. 

Thanks To Our Featured Partners

OceanX logo
Our vision is to create a deeply engaged global community of explorers, scientists, and storytellers dedicated to educating, inspiring, and protecting the oceans in order to drive positive change. Please contact us if you are interested in licensing the use of our audiovisual or photographic content relating to the oceans and marine life. OceanX is a nonprofit initiative of the Dalio Philanthropies (www.daliophilanthropies.org) bringing science to life through captivating storytelling.