WAITT EXPEDITIONS
We are proud to support cutting edge marine science around the world that strives for scientific discovery in order to bring awareness and policy protections. We embark on a wide range of projects that support topics from conservation biology and marine protected areas (MPAs) with a legacy of work in historical discovery through archeology.
We maintain a strict open-data policy.
In addition to academic & NGO partners, we seek to partner directly with the governments in whose waters we explore. With particular expertise in nearshore surveys we provide habitat, benthic, fisheries, and other data to key ministries, departments, and decision makers.
OUR EXPEDITIONS
Jun
2018
WESTERN AZORES
Working with the Oceano Azul Foundation, the University of the Azores, National Geographic’s Pristine Seas, and an international team of scientists and photographers, we returned to the Azores in June of 2018. This expedition followed one we conducted 2 years…
May
2018
santa elena
Working together with Mar Viva and scientists from the University of Costa Rica (CIMAR-UCR), Equipo Tora Carey, University Vèritas and Misión Tiburón, our expedition ship traveled into Santa Elena Bay in Costa Rica. We conducted scientific survey in support of filling protection gaps in both land and water based Nature Preserves.
Mar
2018
We teamed up with a coalition of partners from several countries to study an area that is truly worthy of protection, an international high seas zone of special concern. The Marine Protected Areas in both the Galápagos archipelago of Ecuador and Cocos Island of Costa Rica are both world class pristine areas.
GALAPAGOS TO COCOS ISLAND
Aug
2017
French POlynesia & KIRIBATI
We once again asked the the team from 100 Island Challenge at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to take the lead on one of our expeditions. This time we headed into the Pacific and our task was to survey the…
Jun
2017
TONGA
A team from the 100 Island Challenge joined our surveyors with one of their signature cameras; they will put together 3D datasets of photographic mosaics that will give researchers an unparalleled view into just exactly what life is on the reefs.
Mar
2017
Juan Fernandez
For two weeks in early March of 2017, the Waitt Foundation and Pristine Seas conducted a scientific expedition to Chile’s Juan Fernández archipelago, focusing on Alejandro Selkirk Island and making dives at several sites near...
Feb
2017
Cape Horn
From January 30, 2017, to February 13, 2017, the Waitt Foundation and National Geographic’s Pristine Seas carried out a scientific expedition to the Magallanes region with the goal of studying the marine ecosystems in its fjords and remote islands...
Nov
2016
Lesser Antilles
The Waitt Institute and Dr. Stuart Sandin’s laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography collaborated to organize an expedition to conduct a rapid scientific assessment of the coral reefs around the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean...
Sep
2016
Eastern Azores
In September of 2016 the Waitt Foundation teamed with Dr. Emanuel Gonçalves and his newly forming Ocean Azul Foundation to conduct scientific dive surveys in the islands of the Azores; the expedition was a fantastic success and we hope it will lead...
Jun
2016
Cashes LEdge
In June of 2016 we continued our Blue Parks expedition, again hosting a team of scientists and photographer Brian Skerry aboard our expedition ship, Plan b. We also played host to writer Cynthia Barnett, writing on assignment...
May
2016
Pulley Ridge
In May of 2016 our research ship Plan b pulled out of West Palm Beach, FL and headed south toward Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys with the goal of documenting the fauna and flora in the region in order to support recommendations for protections...
Nov
2015
Curaçao
In November 2015 the Waitt Foundation teamed up with our colleagues at the Waitt Institute to support an expedition to a potential new Blue Halo Initiative site, Curaçao, in the Lesser Antilles Islands. We were joined by a dozen international volunteer scientists, the crew of our research ship...
Oct
2015
Montserrat
In October of 2015 the Waitt Foundation teamed with our colleagues at the Waitt Institute to support an expedition to their new Blue Halo Initiative site, the Emerald of the Caribbean: Montserrat. We were joined by a dozen international volunteer scientists, the crew of our research ship and two Barbudan Fisheries officers with their boat...
Sep
2015
Selvagens Islands
The Waitt Foundation partnered with National Geographic’s Pristine Seas and their team headed up by explorer Paul Rose, for a 10-day expedition to the Selvagens Islands, south of Madeira in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean...
Jun
2015
albania
The first two weeks of June 2015, the Waitt Foundation supported an expedition to collect and provide baseline survey information to the government of Albania in the hopes of advancing the creation of Marine Protected Areas...
Mar
2015
seychelles
In March of 2015 the Waitt Foundation and our partners from National Geographic’s Pristine Seas program undertook an expedition to Seychelles. We spent two weeks investigating, surveying and exploring these rare island gems and its beautiful ocean environments...
Jan
2015
Andaman Sea
In early 2015 the Waitt Foundation teamed up with the Wildlife Conservation Society to work in Myanmar and the Andaman Sea in order to increase local capacity and establish baseline data collection. Training was conducted on science diving, survey methods and the construction of simple Baited Underwater Remote Viewers (BRUV)...
Dec
2014
Great Barrier Reef
In December of 2014 the Waitt Foundation partnered with the University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute and Catlin Seaview Survey to survey areas on the Great Barrier Reef. The team worked out of Cairns, Australia for two weeks conducting multiple missions to include 360 degree tripod photography, straight scientific dive survey...
Jun
2014
Solomon Islands
We partnered with the Solomon Islands Community Conservation partnership and its Director, Alec Hughes in order to conduct scientific assessments. Also joining our expedition...
Apr
2014
Fiji Sharks
This Waitt Expedition to Fiji was the first ever dedicated solely to shark research. We worked with expedition leader, Jessica Cramp of Sharks Pacific; Primary Investigator, Dr. Demian Chapman, and researchers from the Moore Charitable Foundation and Microwave Telemetry...
Mar
2014
Fiji-Vatu-i-ra
This expedition with Wildlife Conservation Society’s Dr. Stacy Jupiter was a culmination of several previous expeditions studying the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape. This productive expedition, among others, has lead to an ongoing relationship between the two organizations.
Feb
2014
Vava'u, tonga
The Waitt Foundation joined with Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to conduct BIORAP scientific surveys of the island group of Vava’u in the Kingdom of Tonga. The survey also included a land based team that worked independently of our ship based scientists...
Nov
2013
New Caledonia
Pristine Seas and Enric Sala joined with the Waitt Foundation and other sponsors to explore and study the remote reefs of New Caledonia. This expedition was able to accomplish that most difficult of goals for this program...
Aug
2013
Cook Islands
Working with Oceans 5 and their expedition leader, Jess Cramp, the Waitt Foundation conducted an expedition into the Cook Islands in order to conduct dive surveys and inform the local government in the creation of Marine Protected Areas.
Oct
2012
Atlantic Seamounts
In October of 2012 Waitt sent its two Autonomous Underwater Vehicles onto an expedition to study seamounts and submerged canyons off the north eastern United States. We worked with Peter Auster and Morgan Kilgour from the University of Connecticut as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council...
Oct
2012
Gabon
The Waitt Foundation, in conjunction with National Geographic’s Pristine Seas program, conducted an expedition in Gabon in order to inform the government on ocean conditions...
Jul
2012
The Arctic
The Waitt Foundation worked with Greenpeace USA during the Summer of 2012 to help inform the science of the Arctic. We sent our submersible to the deepest underwater canyons in the Bering Sea...
Oct
2010
Gulf of Mexico
In October of 2010 the Waitt Foundation partnered with Greenpeace in order to assist them in a study of the ongoing disaster of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill...
Sep
2010
Titanic
In September of 2010 the Waitt Foundation teamed up with RMS Titanic, WHOI and NOAA to work together to produce the first ever mosaic of the entire debris field of the Titanic...
Aug
2008
Albania Archaeology
The Waitt Foundation took part in a two-week exploratory expedition off the coast of southern Albania in August of 2008 when our team of divers explored and documented an ancient shipwreck from the 3rd century BCE that had been discovered the previous Summer by the RPM Nautical Foundation...
