Royal Caribbean Group Extends Investment in OceanScope

OceanScope, a program that gathers climate and ocean data for climate and ocean conservation, is to receive a four-year extension from Royal Caribbean Group.

Among the program’s key partners are the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Sciences at the University of Miami, NASA, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Royal Caribbean Group ships have been researching oceans and marine life for 20 years.

We are delighted to renew OceanScope, one of the most impactful programs to oceanic research,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. The fact that we’ve supported this unique initiative for decades is testament to our commitment to preserving the planet and providing the best vacations responsibly. OceanScope and our scientific collaborators will help us better understand ocean health and conservation.”

As part of its OceanScope program, Royal Caribbean Group ships are equipped with oceanographic and meteorological instruments to collect data on the ocean’s vital signs, including current structures, sea surface temperatures, carbon dioxide concentrations, and salinity.

In his remarks at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Sciences, Dr. Peter Ortner said, “We are delighted to renew our successful collaboration with Royal Caribbean Group.”. As a result of collaboration between the private sector, academic research institutions, and government agencies, a valuable dataset highlighting the intricate connection between the ocean, atmosphere, and climate has been amassed.

A total of over 100,000 nautical miles have been collected from Royal Caribbean’s ships sailing across the Caribbean Sea, Galapagos Sea, North Atlantic Sea, and Mediterranean Sea by the end of 2023.

“The World Meteorological Organization’s and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Global Ocean Observing System, in which NOAA is a major contributor, needs sustained and systematic operations with automated instruments on a variety of platforms, including this innovative collaboration,” Rik Wanninkhof, a NOAA senior scientist and ocean carbon expert at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, said. Royal Caribbean Group’s ships contribute data on CO2 surface temperature and salinity to these ocean observing networks that help determine the ocean’s carbon sink strength and acidification.”