Saving Oceans
Through Mission Blue, Rolex and legendary oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle give marine life a chance to thrive
Time and time again environmental documentaries and scientists remind us that the only time man will ever take part in saving planet Earth is when the damages are already irreparable. According to a 2020 study published by ValueChampion, a Singapore-based technology (fintech) company, the Philippines is the third most vulnerable country in the region to climate change.
The ranking stemmed from these observations: the country had one of the highest average annual temperature increases of 1.45 degrees Celsius over past century and a 10 per cent likelihood of experiencing an extreme heatwave in the next 20 years.
Like the Philippines, other countries that contribute to the problem continue to reap rewards in the form of economic growth as consequences of climate change are felt elsewhere.
With the support of Rolex, Mission Blue, an ambitious and inspirational endevour, that forms one of the pillars of the company’s Perpetual Planet initiative, have a shared commitment to explore, restore, revive and guard the world’s precious oceans.
Led by legendary undersea explorer Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is on a crusade to establish a global network of Marine Protected Areas girdling the planet, one that shields key species and ecosystems, inspires and empowers local activity, and ignites worldwide public interest and support for ocean action.
Mission Blue has a unique and brilliant concept that seeks to establish Hope Spots that revive and protect regions affected by human pressures. Each of these Hope Spots is scientifically identified as vital to ocean health—some are already protected areas, others still stand in need of formal protection. Under Earle’s leadership, the Mission Blue team has mounted expeditions to pinpoint and study these vital ecosystems, find ways and people to safeguard them into the future.
The Hope Spots range from helping to reduce human impacts in the Gulf of California, Cabo Pulmo in Mexico, the Aegean, Caribbean and Caspian seas, to protecting endangered wildlife in the Galápagos, Andaman and Canary isles, to exploring the deep ocean and its life off Antarctica, Palau and around many other unprotected atolls and reefs in the remote oceans of the world.
“No species has changed the oceans more than humans,” Earle explains. “We change the nature of nature, take fish from the oceans on an industrial scale, and leave them awash with plastics. It is getting better, but it’s also getting more urgent because we’re now seeing potentially irreversible changes. That means the extinction of species. It means that you have passed a point of no return.”
The association with Sylvia Earle is not new, as Rolex and the legendary aquanaut have been partners in ocean exploration for half a century. This collaboration goes back to her Tektite II venture in 1970, when she led an all-female expedition of aquanauts who lived for two weeks in an underwater laboratory on the seabed off the Virgin Islands.
“I have been involved with Rolex since 1970 and during that time our interests have become increasingly aligned,” she says.
“Like Rolex, I feel that the time has come to make a stand for a Perpetual Planet so that the marvels of the ocean in all its teeming diversity are not lost to future generations. Everyone can do something. Not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something to make a difference,” she concludes.