Royal Caribbean Group is taking another step in its decades-long commitment to ocean conservation and environmental research programs, announcing a four-year extension of its investment in OceanScope, an open-source data program that provides scientists with critical information for studying climate and ocean conservation.
In collaboration with key program partners, including the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the program's renewal on World Oceans Day builds on more than 20 years of groundbreaking marine and ocean life research conducted aboard Royal Caribbean Group cruise ships.
Using a unique set of oceanographic and meteorological instruments, OceanScope generates a continuous and simultaneous collection of key ocean information from Royal Caribbean Group ships, such as current structure, sea surface temperature, carbon dioxide concentrations and salinity.
“At Royal Caribbean Group, every day is World Oceans Day – and we are thrilled to renew a program with such a significant impact on ocean research as OceanScope,” explained Jason Liberty, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.
OceanScope's open-source database is available to the international scientific community worldwide. The results obtained from this data and peer-reviewed research are key to providing information that informs ocean and conservation policies.
The expansion of OceanScope on Royal Caribbean Group ships helps ensure continuous monitoring of changes in key ocean and atmospheric processes in critical ecosystems.
“We are very grateful for the renewal of this successful collaboration with Royal Caribbean Group,” explained Dr. Peter Ortner, research professor of marine biology and ecology at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences at the University of Miami
Since 2023, data has been collected from over 100,000 nautical miles sailed by four ships across the Caribbean Sea, the Galápagos Islands, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. Royal Caribbean International's Allure of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas , and Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Flora and Celebrity Equinox are currently providing data to scientists at NOAA, the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Oceanography, and the wider community. Royal Caribbean Group will also share the program's findings with its more than eight million annual cruise passengers to enhance their understanding of the ocean.
Royal Caribbean Group's conservation projects extend beyond OceanScope, as the company leads a broader commitment to protecting the planet as part of its SEA the Future platform. Royal Caribbean Group is actively working to decarbonize its business through innovation, partnerships, and the transition to cleaner fuels, smarter technologies, and improved energy efficiencies. Furthermore, the company's efforts are directed toward Destination Net Zero—a commitment to be net zero by 2050 and achieve net-zero emissions on its ships by 2035.
