Royal Caribbean Ships Continue Collecting Ocean Data

Royal Caribbean Group has just revealed its intent to extend its investment in OceanScope for an additional four years—with the ongoing goal of contributing to the study of climate change and marine preservation taking place aboard some of the company’s cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean Group’s Commitment to OceanScope’s Mission 

World Oceans Day is observed every year on June 8th. On World Oceans Day 2023, Royal Caribbean Group chose to announce the continuation of its commitment—for another four years—to the OceanScope program.

The OceanScope program, which began in 2002, is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to advancing climate and ocean conservation efforts. 

Established through a collaboration between the Royal Caribbean Group, and esteemed institutions like the University of Miami, NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this program aims to systematically address the critical issues surrounding the health and preservation of the world’s oceans as they are today, and into the future.

By harnessing cutting-edge technology and leveraging the know-how of scientists, technicians, and other experts at the top of their fields, OceanScope gathers precious data and conducts innovative research related to climate change, marine life, and the overall well-being of our oceans. 

One distinctive aspect of the program involves partnering with the cruise ship industry. By integrating scientific equipment and research teams onto Royal Caribbean Group’s vessels, OceanScope expands its data collection capacity immensely, giving scientists huge data sets to analyze and work with.

“At Royal Caribbean Group, every day is World Oceans Day–and we are thrilled to renew a program as impactful to oceanic research as OceanScope,” Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty remarked.

“We’re dedicated to sustaining our planet and delivering the best vacations, responsibly–and our decades-long support of this unique initiative is a testament to that,” Liberty continued. “We can’t wait to see how OceanScope, and our scientific collaborators progress our understanding of ocean health and conservation.”

This collaboration between OceanScope and the cruise ship industry, which makes a lot of sense, offers researchers incredible access to diverse marine environments around the globe. 

This unparalleled access lets scientists collect vital information essential for conservation efforts, while at the same time fostering the promotion of sustainable practices within the cruise ship industry.

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The ongoing collaboration between OceanScope and Royal Caribbean Group will allow for the continuous monitoring and analysis of oceanic and atmospheric processes in critical ecosystems. 

“We are most grateful to renew our successful collaboration with Royal Caribbean Group,” Dr. Peter Ortner, of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, explained.

“This is an extraordinary example of how private industry, academic research institutions and government agencies are collaborating to amass an incredibly valuable dataset highlighting the intricate connection between the ocean, atmosphere, and climate,” Dr. Ortner added.

Initiatives like OceanScope significantly enhance NASA’s understanding of how the ocean regulates heat, energy, and water, all of which impact the climate. This knowledge is crucial for how NASA can better model current climate patterns, and for refining future projections.

By 2023, over 100,000 nautical miles of data have been collected through cooperative efforts on four ships located in the Caribbean Sea, the Galapagos, the North Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. 

Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas, alongside Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Equinox, are all still actively contributing to these efforts.

By actively engaging in this strategic partnership, OceanScope is at the forefront of driving positive change and ensuring a more sustainable future for our oceans.