Marine Research and Exploration
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2019 IMPACT REPORT
E X P L O R E . D I S C O V E R . P R O T E C T .

Marine Research & Exploration  partners for intelligent   ocean management.
Our mission is to explore and document the world’s oceans to support their conservation and stewardship.  With assets of innovative technology, proprietary data collection and analysis, MARE informs and collaborates with government, academic, science and community-based organizations to affect change. We specialize in long term ocean monitoring projects that track change and progress of management plans and environmental factors; our focus is the biodiverse continental shelf to depths of 1,000 meters.
O U R    I M P A C T

3,910
KILOMETERS EXPLORED

2,495,000
ORGANISMS IDENTIFIED

437
SITES VISITED

287,135
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN
​
1,678
​DIVES COMPLETED
​Letter from the Executive Director
Explore. Discover. Protect.
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It's time to take the gloves off when it comes to climate change. Oceans take the brunt of climate impact. Our seas absorb 90% of excess heat, and sequester 30% of the carbon emitted from burning fossil fuels, all while delivering the oxygen in  every other breath you take. California offers a glimmer of hope, pioneering a new type of ocean management for over 15 years with promising results. We currently benefit from 124 marine reserves covering ~16% of state waters. MARE has been a vital partner to marine resource managers from the beginning, and has provided evidence of successes and failures in these reserves. MARE continues to do more of what we do best: explore, discover, and protect our ocean. Looking ahead, we will export our assets and know-how to support Hawai’i’s bold “30 by 30” marine management initiative and work with strategic partners to ensure a resilient, biodiverse ocean for future generations.

Since our founding, generous and committed donors like you have enabled new blue technologies, survey of thousands of kilometers of deep sea floor, discovery of new coral species, and protection of large coral gardens. We work hard to demonstrate what a strong tool intelligent ocean management is for our ocean’s health. Annual reports are one way to showcase strides made with your support, and we have highlighted a few exciting achievements in this one. I hope you make the ocean one of your top three priorities. The oceans are the lungs, heart and thermostat of the planet and we have the ability to make real change. We are at a crossroads of knowledge and technology, the time to intelligently manage our oceans is now. Best wishes, 

​Dirk Rosen, Founder & Executive Director
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MARE TECHNOLOGY: Our Guide To The Deep

LEARN ABOUT OUR ROBOTIC FLEET

2019  HIGHLIGHTS

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Blue Parks ​
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California has an invaluable string of pearls along its coast – a network of blue parks that serve to protect and restore our ocean’s health. This is the second largest network of marine reserves in the world, stretching over 1,000 square kilometers, and aims to sustain biodiversity in nearshore marine ecosystems. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a promising model of conservation creating a more resilient ecosystem. MARE is leading the exploration and documentation of California’s deep water areas. Now that we have baseline data for the entire coast, California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has engaged MARE in a new phase of  long-term monitoring along the coast to track progress and impact of the MPA network. We will continue data collection into 2020; analyzed data will be integrated in a comprehensive statewide management review of the MPAs. This rare snapshot of the entire coast of California will help ocean managers make informed decisions to maintain a healthy, sustainable ocean.
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Deep Sea Coral Discovery 
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Deep sea corals, the old growth forests of the ocean, support rich and abundant communities of marine life. The waters off the US West Coast still contain large colonies of corals and sponges, along with the rich biomass that depend upon them. MARE and our partners aim to find these communities before they’re destroyed. These critical habitats are vulnerable to bottom trawling, which can destroy an ecosystem that has been in place for millennia. This year, the most extensive ban on bottom trawling became law, swayed by compelling MARE video, and testimony by Heirs to our Oceans, NOAA and Oceana. Fishing groups and environmentalists agreed to protect more than 140,000 square miles of seafloor habitat along the West Coast, including gardens of lush coral around the Farallon Islands. Last year, MARE worked with the California Academy of Sciences and NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary on an expedition that resulted in the discovery of a new species of deep sea coral. This yellow octocoral has been named Chromoplexaura cordellbankensis in honor of Cordell Bank. We have since documented it in various locations on the West Coast. This discovery serves to remind us how much more we can learn about our poorly understood deep sea and how critical exploration continues to be.

DISCOVERY DAY

Each year, MARE offers an opportunity for our generous supporters to don their citizen scientist hats and join us for a day at sea: Discovery Day. This day is filled to the gills with hands-on exploration and discovery, and an opportunity for guests to see their investment in action. We typically plan this day around expeditions out of Santa Barbara in the Channel Islands so that guests can actively participate in our work.

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​“I was amazed at the colorful corals we saw at depth, along with all the rockfish and lingcod. It was a real privilege to drive the ROV around the bottom. MARE’s work is a remarkable example of how blue tech is being used to help protect California’s precious marine resources and reserves.” - Michael Sutton, Executive Director Goldman Environmental Foundation.
Contact Erin O'Toole to learn more about our Discovery Day

ON THE HORIZON 
Aloha Challenge

Hawaii’s coral reefs and nearshore waters are a critical element of both the state’s economy and culture. To preserve this resource, the state enacted the Sustainable Hawaii Initiative to effectively manage 30% of local ocean waters by 2030. Though much attention is given to Hawaii’s famous shallow coral reefs, deep water corals are as much of a priority to understand and protect. Found below SCUBA depth, mesophotic corals provide an equally important marine habitat that supports a variety of life, including commercially important fish species. Deep water marine regions in the ‘Au’au channel have been shown to be some of the most extensive and densely populated coral reefs in Hawaii.

In 2020 MARE will be crossing the Pacific to Hawaii bringing our technology and expertise to this “30 by 30” initiative. MARE will augment existing datasets with deeper water surveys, locating hotspots of biodiversity and abundance that divers cannot access. Our project helps ensure that Hawaii’s long term marine management plan is based on accurate and credible information and aligns with priorities of the Sustainable Hawaii Initiative.


​Mahalo to the following supporters :The Dorrance Family Foundation ​. Harold K L Castle Foundation .
​Atherton Family Foundation . ​Peter J Davis Family Foundation 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ALOHA CHALLeNGE
​Letter from the Chair, Board of Directors
Intelligent Ocean Management
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We are facing an existential crisis: our global ecosystem is severely impacted by human activity. That is certainly my belief and likely yours too if you are reading this report. That said, a study conducted by ScienceDaily May 2019 showed that 47% of the world’s population perceive climate change as a threat. So, not everyone is on board with efforts to save our little blue world. I joined Marine Research & Exploration (MARE) because I felt their focus (developing the science and technology needed to explore and create objective marine ecosystem baseline information) was the necessary critical first step toward sustainability. We don’t know what we don’t know in terms of marine health; most of our oceans and seas remain unexplored and undocumented. While there are terrific efforts underway to stop and reverse damage to our environment, how can one intelligently manage anything without objective information on which to base decisions, actions, and related investments? MARE has defined its next chapter in marine conservation. Our new vision, Intelligent Ocean Management, says it all: it’s time for MARE to expand its services from the US west coast and scale globally. To do so we will rely on advances in science and technology, the continued commitment of our partners and supporters, as well as build new relationships with those who can resource this vision. We hope you continue to join us on our quest to save our oceans, one intelligently managed deep sea kilometer at a time.

J. Allan McCarthy, Chair, Board of Directors
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THE TIME TO INTELLIGENTLY MANAGE OUR OCEANS IS NOW.
SUPPORT A HEALTHY BLUE PLANET. INVEST IN OCEAN EXPLORATION.

DONATE NOW
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES | JULY 1, 2018 - JUNE 30, 2019
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OCEAN CHAMPIONS | Reflects donations received July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019
$100,000+
The Dean and Ann Witter Fund for Charitable Giving
​
$50,000+
Anonymous
Danish Explorers Fund
The Dorrance Family Foundation
Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

$25,000 – $49,999
Harold K. L. Castle Foundation
HRH Foundation
Margolis Family Foundation

$10,000 – $24,999
Atherton Family Foundation
Peter J Davis Family Foundation
Larry L Hillblom Foundation
Norman Rich
Schmidt Marine Technology Partners
Elizabeth Ulmer & Jon Graham

$5,000 – $9,999
The Baum Foundation
Bay Area Beverage Company
Kerry Davidson & Dan Fitzgerald
Guilianna & Jonathan Glassman
Jamie Miller
Point Richmond Gateway Foundation
Ann Rosenberg & Lorenzo Kampel

$2,500 – $4,999
Paul Devine & Rob Hering
Ilana De Bare & Sam Schuchat
Allison & Seth Ferguson
Laura Marlin
Laura & Allan McCarthy
Karen & Pete Weber

​$1,000 – $2,499
Anonymous
Jeannie Blaustein & Peter Bokor
Ron Clausen
Sandra Gross & Eric Whitaker
Mary Daniel Hobson
Lindsey & Ken Meyersieck
Heidi & Brian Miller
Laura Moss & Ted Daverman
Nancy & Robert Praetzel
Pam Rich & Dirk Rosen
Martin & Joan Rosen
Blanca Senor & Chris Hausser

Jay Tustin

$500 – $999
Anna Beck & Michael Shearn
Tory Cowan
Heather Furmidge
Michael Gallagher
Tanis & Seth Hammond
Susan & Huey Johnson
Bruce Keene
Mia & Jeff Ludlow
Bradley Mart
Susan McComb & John Durst
Janis & Martin McNair
Angela Rule
Victoria Ryan
Jill Spangenberg & Jerry Barakos
Shauna Stark
Marjorie & Ralph Winkler


UP TO $499
Lisa & Gregg Bemis
Natasha Benjamin
Alicia Bihler & Owen Bissell
Paul Bonapart
Maria Brown
Paul Caturegli
Sara Cohen
Pat Conroy
Sandra Curtis
Margaret Cellucci
Kia Conn
Mark Cullen
Fiona Davis
Don Duncan
UP TO $499
Jane & Douglas Ferguson
Patricia & Kevin Heard
Aviva Garrett & David Doshay
Kristopher Geda
Al Guinto
David Helvarg
Wil Hobbs
Linda Horne
Patricia Jackson
Rachel Jackson
Barbara & Michael Johnson
Robert Lane
Gary Lucks
Karin Ludwig
Pam Lewis
Daniel Kahn
Tammy Carlson & Elliot Kallen
​Steven Katz
Keegan & Coppin Company, Inc.
Sam Krueger
Rosemary Macedo-Shafer​
Lenny Mankin

Denise & Tony Melas
Tom Maloney
Erin O’Toole & Nathan P Hickey
Joanna Pearlstein
Eric & Susan Poncelet
Steve Peletz
Star Pierce
Ciji Rich
David Rosen
Daniel Richards
Thomas Ray
Shirley Rosseau
Josh Seidenfeld
Linda & George Sensabaugh
Frederick Smith
Ellen Sueda
Katherine Teplitz
Janet Tompkins
Ricardo Vazquez
Randall Von Wedel
Dirk Van Waart
Justin Waples
Pamela Wayne
Even Weissman
Shelly Willard
Surjani Winoto
STAFF
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Marine Applied Research and Exploration
1230 Brickyard Cove Road #101, Point Richmond, CA 94801
Tel: 510.232.1541
info@maregroup.org
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  • Home
  • About
    • Navigating 2020
    • Our Team
    • Jobs
    • Board of Directors
    • Partners
    • Annual Reports
    • Project Reports
    • MARE in the News
    • Data Analysis
  • Services
  • Expeditions
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
  • Program Areas
    • Marine Protected Areas
    • National Marine Sanctuaries
    • Deep-sea Corals and Sponges
    • Fisheries
    • Other Services
    • Hawaii 30 x 30
    • Deep Sea Engineering Challenge
  • Robotic Fleet
    • ROV Beagle
    • ROV Hammerhead
    • BATFish
    • Video Lander
  • Gallery
    • Photo
    • Video
  • Donate
  • Contact Us