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Only three months since launching the #ProtectOurBeds campaign run by not-for-profit, Clean Sailors, the Ocean Conservation Trust and all-in-one boating navigation app, savvy navvy – has seen major contributors come forward expanding its global coverage.
From today seagrass data from the Channel Islands is live in the savvy navvy app, as the Bailiwick Eelgrass Exploration Project (BEEP) partners in Guernsey and Alderney and the Government of Jersey are amongst the first contributors to the campaign.
Dr Mel Broadhurst-Allen, Living Seas Coordinator of the Alderney Wildlife Trust, part of BEEP said: “We are thrilled to help develop this initiative with all the partners involved. The savvy navvy app provides a wonderful new platform for us to showcase our amazing Eelgrass beds and citizen science research. More importantly, it provides marine users the chance to anchor outside the beds, thus reducing any potential impacts upon these sensitive habitats.”
Seagrasses combat climate change by absorbing and storing huge amounts of carbon, but are estimated to be the fastest disappearing habitat on the planet mainly due to avoidable human activity*.
“The project always planned to bring together UK-wide sensitive seabed data and then focus on European waters, but we have been overwhelmed by contributors and are excited to have so many partners come forward in such a short period of time. Making this data visible in the savvy navvy app to those of us who can mitigate our impact when boating, across the world, is incredibly exciting and just makes so much sense to seagrass conservation efforts,” says Holly Manvell, founder of Clean Sailors.
Data from the US, Europe has been collated and is set to be added in the all-in-one navigation app next.
“While savvy navvy is all about simplifying boating technology by making navigation safe and easy for everyone, innovative campaigns helping boaters to make better choices when out on the water is something we feel very strongly about. It’s great seeing the seagrass coverage expanding in our app. Together with our campaign partners, we continue to actively seek more eco-moorings in the UK and around the world, as we break down barriers to boating and help people get out onto the water, we need to make sure we do so sustainably. Cleaner boating is better boating,” says David Cusworth, Head of Innovation and Partnerships at savvy navvy.
To find out more about the #protectourbeds campaign visit www.savvy-navvy.com/seagrass .
The #protectourbeds campaign continues to look for global data partners for the next milestone of the project. All enquiries and applications can be directed to Clean Sailors via info@cleansailors.com .
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For more information contact savvy navvy’s PR Manager Isabel Johnston on isabel@savvy-navvy.com or telephone +44 (0)7818345936
Alternatively, contact Holly Manvell, founder of Clean Sailors on holly@cleansailors.com or telephone +44 (0)7967217056.
About #ProtectOurBeds
The aim of ‘#protectourbeds´ is to help stop vital seagrass being destroyed. By bringing greater awareness to water-users on where sensitive seabeds lie and encouraging them to use eco-moorings where available, the campaign aims to educate, inspire and encourage the boating community to make more informed anchoring choices when out on the water.
About seagrass
Seagrass meadows store 10% of the ocean’s carbon and are key protagonists in the combat of climate change. They can be up to 35 times more efficient at absorbing carbon than rainforests of the same area and also provide a habitat for rare and endangered species. Despite the importance of seagrass, in the UK alone, we have lost nearly half our seagrass beds since the 1930s, mainly due to avoidable human activity.
* The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 2014 figure
About savvy navvy
Simplifying boating technology has always been the aim of savvy navvy, founded by lifelong sailor and ex Googler Jelte Liebrand. He was baffled at the amount of data sources you needed to get a clear picture of where you were, what the tide was doing, what weather to expect, how to plot your course to steer and how to find a good anchorage or marina and then how to share your plans with your buddies and family. He focused on tech that is already in the hands of most boaters. So, turning a phone or tablet into your boating buddy seemed like an obvious next step. In less than five years, savvy navvy has attracted global users from all over the world all using the app to help their experience on the water. As part of savvy navvy’s continuous growth, they have expanded to support kayakers, jet-skiers and paddleboarders with simplified navigation.
Today savvy navvy is available on Android, IOS, PC and Mac and can be used on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously. Find out more on www.savvy-navvy.com
About Clean Sailors
Clean Sailors is a not-for-profit, mobilising the global sailing community in conservation of our oceans. Launched in July 2020, Clean Sailors' mission is to set a new standard of sailing within our global sailing community: clean sailing, by raising awareness of ocean conservation opportunities within our sport, our passion, our pastime.
The crew's aim is to make an ocean ambassador of each and every sailor around the world, and Clean Sailor’s already counts three-time world champion and four-time Paralympian Hannah Stodel, as well as CJ Perez, the youngest ever sailor to join the SailGP league, as ambassadors to their cause.
In 2021, Clean Sailors launched Cleaner Marina with industry partners including boatfolk, MDL Marinas, savvy navvy and Ecoworks Marine, to encourage better, cleaner standards across marinas, ports and harbours, globally. Their global platform, ReSail, connects sailors and their old sailing equipment with projects and businesses around the world who have commercial use for such second-life materials.
In January 2022, Clean Sailors announced the launch of the Clean Sailors Youth Racing Team with three international Champion sailors; CJ Perez (18) the youngest sailor ever to join the SailGP league and the first latina, Lukas Hesse (22), German Champion 2020 and Swiss sailor Jann Schüpbach (20). They made it to the Grand Finale of the Youth Foiling Gold Cup in 2022 and will be competing for the same through 2023. More information: www.cleansailors.com
About Ocean Conservation Trust
The Ocean Conservation Trust focuses on two key areas: habitat restoration and behaviour change. Following their ground-breaking conservation pathway that has been proven to work, the charity’s approach puts people at the centre, working hard to create meaningful connections between people and the Ocean as the first step to inspiring long-term behaviour change. This is done in tandem, with more traditional conservation work, surrounding the protecting, monitoring and restoration of crucial Ocean habitats, with a particular focus on seagrasses. Find out more on www.oceanconservationtrust.org
Through their Ocean Habitats Programme, they design, deliver and monitor active, in situ, Ocean restoration projects, reversing habitat damage and supporting habitats to recover. Their biggest and most ambitious seagrass project yet, Blue Meadows, will deliver a holistic approach to seagrass protection, regeneration and restoration.
Through their Ocean Advocacy Programme, they work tirelessly to advocate for the Ocean, creating inclusive campaigns and digital programmes so that everyone can find their Ocean connection.
Through their Ocean Experiences Programme, they use education and experience to influence perceptions of, and relationships with the Ocean, with the ultimate goal of positive, pro-Ocean behaviour.
About BEEP:
The Bailiwick Eelgrass Exploration Project (BEEP) is a citizen science project aimed to train volunteers to help record Eelgrass across the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Formed in 2019, it is a collaborative project, founded by several environmental organisations and volunteers from The Alderney Wildlife Trust, La Société Guernesiaise, Guernsey Biological Records Centre, States of Guernsey, and Seasearch. More information can be found here: Bailiwick Eelgrass Exploration Project (BEEP) | Alderney Wildlife Trust
