Rolex and National Geographic launch Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions to protect the world’s oceans

In the years since, the expeditions have scaled the peaks of the Andes, traversed the rainforests of the Amazon, and extracted a 327m-deep ice core from Canada’s Mount Logan, with each journey offering invaluable data and scientific discovery. The new Ocean Expeditions turns the lens to the planet’s blue heart, home to extraordinary biodiversity and vital to Earth’s health. Only 8 per cent of the ocean is currently protected. With rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification and ecosystem collapse accelerating, more than 100 countries have pledged to protect 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. The Rolex and National Geographic Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions will combine academic science and local ecological knowledge to help protect and restore the largest ecosystem on Earth—the ocean.

The first project in this series will zone in on the Arctic Ocean, where scientists are working closely with the Gjoa Haven community to study Sherman Basin, a uniquely bio abundant and resilient marine environment. Combining oceanography and traditional ecological knowledge, the team is developing a plan to preserve biodiversity and sustain food security for Arctic communities. The discoveries made here might also inform the protection of other changing Arctic regions.

In the rarely explored Southern Ocean, also known as Antarctic Ocean, researchers embarked on a pioneering study aboard the state‑of‑the-art oceanographic research vessel, Falkor (too), provided by the Schmidt Ocean Institute. From the sea ice to the sea floor, they investigated never-before-studied ecosystems, offering a rare glimpse into a marine realm shaped by isolation and extremes. The findings will help deepen our understanding of this ecosystem while informing conservation efforts essential to maintaining planetary health.

In the Indian Ocean, the first-ever locally led deep ocean expedition in the Seychelles is underway. Collaborating with the local fishing community, National Geographic Explorers are deploying custom-built deep-sea camera systems to collect essential data from some of the region’s richest fisheries. The goal is to inform sustainable management policies that can preserve these marine resources for generations to come.

Meanwhile, in Rarotonga in the Pacific  Ocean, another team is developing novel techniques to boost corals’ tolerance in the face of warming seas, advancing restoration efforts that could benefit the reefs worldwide. And along the Gambian coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, scientists are documenting the critical role of mangrove ecosystems in supporting biodiversity and food security and providing protection against the impacts of sea level rise. In Bintang Bolong and the River Delta, where saltwater intrusion is destroying arable land, these findings could prove essential to survival.

Throughout the series, deep‑sea explorer Katy Croff Bell will collaborate with other explorers and local communities to deploy one or both of her accessible, low-cost deep-sea sensing and imaging platforms, the Maka Niu and the Deep Ocean Research and Imaging System (Doris). These tools aim to expand access to exploration of the depths.

As with all endeavours under the Perpetual Planet Initiative, the new Ocean Expeditions are driven not only by the pursuit of knowledge but by the belief that action begins with awareness. Rolex’s long-standing support of ocean advocates including Sylvia Earle and organisations such as Mission Blue and Coral Gardeners underlines this ethos. Through these partnerships, the brand is helping to protect marine life, expand ocean sanctuaries and restore coral ecosystems around the globe.