por 
THE BAJA POST
NEWSROOM
SOURCE: PR NEWSMEDIA
A launching pad for underwater exploration, conservation and now research, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) honors the ecosystems that surround and sustain the nine islands it calls home, welcoming World Oceans Day with ocean preservation updates in the Caribbean.
An initiative of the United Nations celebrated each year on June 8th, World Oceans Day 2024 is a call to ‘awaken new depths‘ — spreading momentum for the ocean via exploration, collaboration, commitment and more — in alignment with the Caribbean all-inclusive resort company’s approach to caring for the sea.
Welcoming Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau and PROTEUS™ Scientists to Sandals Royal Curaçao
The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao is one of the region’s most coveted destinations for diving with its healthy fringing reef system and abundant marine life. Soon it will become home to the «International Space Station of the Ocean» – PROTEUS™ – led by world-renowned aquanaut Fabien Cousteau and a team of experts who make up Proteus Ocean Group. As the world’s most advanced, multi-purpose underwater habitat, PROTEUS™ is designed to drive innovation in the blue economy, amplify ocean storytelling and enable research to address pressing global issues. The modular, state-of-the-art global station will be accessible to public, corporate, academic, and non profit sectors as well as to private individuals.
Located just a few nautical miles from the potential site, Sandals Royal Curaçao recently hosted Cousteau and PROTEUS™ team of scientists who visited one of their considered locations to collect data crucial to the advancement of the project. The excursion was supported by Sandals’ PADI-certified scuba diving program and watersports experts, including Corporate Director of Watersports Michael Clarke, who hosted the group aboard one of its custom designed and state of the art Newton dive boats.
«Virtually everything you love and cherish about the beach, including the feel-good aspects of walking by the shoreline, is because of the ocean. Healthy oceans mean a healthy future, and we’re grateful for partners like Sandals who share our passion for taking action to improve them,» said Cousteau.
During the exploratory dive, PROTEUS’ team of scientists installed a suite of sensors to capture variables ranging from temperature to water quality to the acoustic environment as they build toward an extensive network that will inform and benefit Curaçao’s coral reefs.
This work was done in conjunction with the launch of a PROTEUS™ pilot community science program, where a group of experienced recreational divers dove alongside the PROTEUS™ science team to assist with their underwater research. This opens doors for future opportunities to engage non-experts in the research and science that will happen on PROTEUS™ to advance solutions to some of Earth’s most pressing issues.
