SAILING FOR MARINE CONSERVATION

THE LIVING OCEAN, MAKING WAVES IN THE CARIBBEAN!

Duration: October 2023 - now

About the project

“The Living Ocean making waves in the Caribbean” is an initiative organized by Yong Mi Janse, aimed at raising awareness about marine conservation issues in the Caribbean. The project involves a unique sailing expedition that combines adventure, education, and hands-on conservation efforts to protect the delicate marine ecosystems of the Caribbean.

By partnering with local NGOs and educational experts, this initiative seeks to offer The Living Ocean the opportunity to explore the beauty of the Caribbean. While fostering a deeper connection with nature and each other.

The Living Ocean got the sailing boat gifted for 1 year from experienced sailor Gilles Huot, France. Gilles Huot participated in the Longue Route 2018 with his beautiful boat ‘Peregrina’. With this amazing opportunity Yong Mi Janse will sail towards the Caribbean together with her family (partner and son 6 years) for 1 year. She likes to make the most of what nature can provide. There is no denying it; sailing is an extremely low carbon footprint form of transport, does not produce any fossil fuel at all and has a minimal impact on the environment.

With this project she will:

1. Raise Awareness

Educate participants and the public about the importance of marine conservation, highlighting the fragility of Caribbean marine ecosystems and the threats they face.
2. Engage local communities

Collaborate with local communities, fishermen, and stakeholders to foster a sense of ownership and responsibility for the marine environment.
3. Collect data

Conduct scientific research and data collection to assess the health of coral reefs, fish populations, and other key indicators of marine ecosystem health.

4. Implement Conservation Initiatives

Undertake practical conservation activities such as coral restoration, beach cleanups, and marine debris collection to directly contribute to preserving the marine environment.
5. Create Advocates

Empower participants to become advocates for marine conservation by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and personal experiences from the sailing trip.

She will be part of several projects on a volunteering base:

Survey plastic pollution, The Clean Up, The Netherlands
Coral reef monitoring, AGRRA, Greater Caribbean
Whale ID and sound recording, CCS Caribbean Cetacean Society, Caribbean

While doing all these projects Yong Mi will use social media to record and film her work and the state of ocean and marine life in The Caribbean. She will advertise The Living Ocean by using flags on the boat. You can follow her on social media: Making waves in the Caribbean!

In the meantime, she will meet small NGO’s to collect information about their work and see if she can implement best practices in the projects in Zanzibar. She will also look for a project in The Caribbean that The Living Ocean can support in the future. Preferable a project like current projects in Zanzibar, a small NGO with good management and with marine projects, working together with the local community.

This is a time that The Living Ocean can see the Ocean with all the positive but also the negative impact in the Caribbean Sea.

Conclusion

The “The Living Ocean making waves in the Caribbean” project is a transformative initiative that combines adventure and education to create a lasting impact on marine conservation. By bringing together participants, local communities and experts, the project aims to raise awareness, collect vital data, and foster a sense of responsibility for the precious Caribbean marine ecosystems. Through this project, the NGO The Living Ocean endeavors to create a ripple effect of positive change in marine conservation efforts in the region.