OCEEF: The Ocean Conservation Exploration and Education Foundation
Alex Moukas and OCEEF
The Ocean Conservation Exploration and Education Foundation (OCEEF) was established in 2022 with a clear-cut mission: to globally educate about the Ocean and develop tangible strategies for its preservation. OCEEF employs cutting-edge technology not only to inform and engage, but to foster a profound shift in perspectives towards ocean conservation and research. Since its inception in 2022, OCEEF has orchestrated a series of multifaceted missions encompassing science, education, and conservation, all aboard the RV Odyssey—a state-of-the-art oceanographic vessel equipped with three-person submersibles capable of descending thousands of feet, complemented by remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), complete with a certified helideck (EC135 and A109) with refueling capabilities.
OCEEF has maximized the potential of RV Odyssey's top-tier oceanographic equipment, spanning missions from the Caribbean to Gibraltar, through the Suez Canal, and from the Horn of Africa to the Maldives, Chagos, Reunion, all the way to Cape Town. In October 2022, OCEEF formed a strategic partnership with Polygon to establish an on-chain governance platform, empowering participants to play a pivotal role in determining the vessel's missions, selecting accompanying researchers and students, and influencing the destinations it will explore next. Polygon's decentralized governance platform will significantly enhance engagement, granting participants the authority to contribute to critical decisions:
Missions: Following recommendations from the scientific committee, the community will have a voice in selecting missions from a curated shortlist.
Participation: OCEEF will open submissions for students to join the team onboard, selecting groups from the applications for each mission. Additionally, there will be opportunities for individuals to take part in dives, facilitated through funding support NFTs.
Locations: The community will have the power to influence the selection of countries from future itineraries. OCEEF possesses the capacity to obtain Special Research Permits and conduct operations in exclusive locations inaccessible to all other visitors, presenting an exciting prospect for the participation pillar.
