ALICANTE, 5 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The next edition of the round-the-world regatta The Ocean Race, which will start on January 15 from Alicante, will carry out one of the most ambitious scientific programs of a sporting event and, among other parameters, will measure contamination by microplastics and the impact of climate change on the oceans.
All boats taking part in this six-month round-the-world regatta will carry specialized equipment on board to measure a number of variables along the 60,000-kilometre route, which will be analyzed by scientists from eight major research organizations to better understand the state of the oceans
As they navigate through some of the most remote parts of the planet, the teams will collect vital data in areas where information is lacking on two of the biggest threats to the health of the seas: the impact of climate change and plastic pollution.
This scientific programme, launched during the 2017-18 edition of the race in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing, title sponsor of The Ocean Race and founding sponsor of the Racing with Purpose sustainability programme, will capture more variety of data in the next edition, among them the levels of oxygen and trace elements in the water.
Data will also be delivered faster to science partners in this edition, transmitted via satellite and reaching organizations including the World Meteorological Organization, the National Center for Oceanography, the Max Planck Society, the National Center for Scientific Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in real time.
“A healthy ocean is not only vital to the sport we love, but also regulates the climate, provides food for billions of people and supplies half of the planet’s oxygen. Its decline impacts the entire world. To stop it, we must provide scientific evidence to governments and organizations and demand that they act accordingly,” said Stefan Raimund, Science Lead at The Ocean Race.
For Raimund, the organization is in a “unique position” to contribute to this change. “The data collected during our previous editions has been included in crucial reports on the state of the planet that have informed and influenced the decisions of governments. Knowing that we can make a difference in this way has inspired us to expand our scientific program even further. and to collaborate with more of the world’s leading scientific organizations to support their vital research,” he added.
In total, 15 types of environmental data will be collected during The Ocean Race 2022-23, including indicators of climate change; plastic pollution; meteorological data; and ocean biodiversity, with the capture of images of marine phytoplankton on the ocean surface.
All data collected is open-sourced and shared with The Ocean Race’s science partners, a number of organizations around the world that are examining the impact of human activity on the ocean, and incorporated into various reports, such as the of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and databases such as the Atlas of Carbon Dioxide at the Ocean Surface, which provides data for the Global Carbon Budget, an annual assessment of carbon dioxide that provides targets and predictions for carbon reduction.
Supported by 11th Hour Racing, Ulysse Nardin as Time to Act Partner and Archwey as Official Plastic-Free Ocean Partner, The Ocean Race’s scientific program is intensifying at a time when the impact of human activity on the ocean is becoming more familiar.
Recent studies highlight how high temperatures in the ocean fuel extreme weather events and sea levels are projected to rise at a faster rate than anticipated, while whales have been found to ingest millions of microplastics every day.