ABOUT
ABOUT
Exploring our Ocean
We are an independent foundation representing two of Europe’s foremost Universities in interdisciplinary marine sciences. We have started an eight-year Sailing4Science project with a vision to sail around the world until 2030. Our scientific program is endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UNEP Clean Seas Campaign. ​
Our mission
Our mission is to inspire, engage and motivate people to connect with our ocean. We are building a global network of sailors and researchers to observe and collect vital data from our ocean and coastlines onboard their sailboats. We create awareness onboard, in ports and in marinas through open science participation and active communication and demonstrations. We share ocean insights and inspire people to adopt new ocean-friendly lifestyles. We build and exchange capacity with low-income countries with a frugal approach to ocean observations in their home waters.
WHAT WE DO:
One vast ocean – satellite image by Google and focal point at the center of the Pacific Ocean.
The ocean is vast and under-explored. New technology, including satellites, automatization efforts, developments of sensors, and about 300 active research vessels worldwide are improving the data collections in and around the ocean. However the oceanographic understanding and data are still incomplete, due to the vastness of the ocean and the diversity of challenges.
We set sail to explore key ocean processes, collect and share essential ocean variables as well as visit cities and island communities with the purpose of collecting and sharing knowledge and raising ocean awareness. We want to inspire people to understand their ocean connectivity better and to help unleash their oceanic potential – from a natural, economic, planetary, and humanitarian perspective.​
S4S will increase data and knowledge gathering, and achieve healthy and clean ocean awareness by empowering students and young scientists, especially in under-developed, under-studied regions, as well as using involvement of citizens in data collection and ocean stewardship.
OUR OBJECTIVES
Increasing knowledge while empowering young scientists
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Serving students and scientists around the world committed with scientific investigation, education, technology development and dissemination related to the marine environment
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Supporting marine scientists and potential citizen scientist in countries lacking marine research infrastructures
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Building necessary foundation to construct the future generations of marine scientists, professionals and governance
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Providing opportunities to common citizen-sailors to experience life and scientific exploration at sea
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Raising awareness and increasing ocean literacy
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WHO WE ARE
Researchers and Sailors
Sailing 4 Science (S4S) is a platform for students, research scientists, citizens, sailors and enterprises to collaborate for ocean research. We are a model for bottom up science projects that empowers students and scientists all over the world. This is specially significant in developing nations, where legislation and lack of infrastructure may stand in the way of scientific progress. We want to find solutions, investigate and raise awareness of our changing oceans.
Murat Van Ardelan
Murat Ardelan leads the Marine Chemistry and Biogeochemistry group at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He has experience working both in Antarctic and Arctic regions and focuses on understanding the role of trace metals in marine biogeochemical cycles.
Martin Hassellöv
Martin Hassellov leads the research group in marine environmental nanochemistry at the University of Gothenburg. He is working on marine pollution in its solid form, e.g. marine litter, from nanometer scale to the ecosystem level. He is also running the sailing research and communication vessel Hrimfare (hrimfare.com)
Maria Gutiérrez González
María is the coordinator for research & education at NTNU’s strategic research area of Oceans (NTNU Oceans) providing her insight and experience on interdisciplinarity and knowledge transfer and focusing on citizen science and capacity building initiatives.
Andreas Gondikas
Andreas is a Researcher at the University of Athens, Greece. He is studying particulate and particle-associated contaminants in the environment and their effects on human health and the ecosystem.
Maria G. Digernes
Maria Digernes is a PhD student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). She is working on dissolved organic carbon characterization and trace elements in the ocean.
Bjorn Bertoft
Bjorn is a sailor and citizen scientist with his own climate sailing project 100% Sun Wind Water 2018-2022. He manages communication, media, and brand development for projects aligned with the UN Agenda 2030.
Mathew K. Avarachen
Mathew is a PhD student at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He is working on biological and microbial carbon pumps in the ocean and its ecological responses of marine ecosystems.
Annie Vera Hunnestad
Annie finished her PhD at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), specializing in iron aqcuisition strategies in marine cyanobacteria.
Kuria Ndungu
Kuria is a researcher at The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), mainly studying inorganic ions and elements in seawater and exploring extraction of mineral resources from the ocean.
Julia Farkas
Julia Farkas is a Research Scientist in the Climate and Environment research department at SINTEF Ocean in Trondheim, Norway.
Tomasz Maciej Ciesielski
Tomasz is a Researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) at the Department of Biology.