In December 2008, the United Nations Organization (UN) designated June 8 as the World Oceans Day with the aim of remembering the importance they have on the planet and raising awareness about the consequences of human activity about them.
More than 70% of the planet Earth is covered by the ocean: it is the source of life and sustenance for humanity and all other organisms on earth. Without going any further: the ocean produces at least 50% of the planet's oxygen, houses most of the biodiversity of the earth and is the main protein source for more than a billion people around the world.
Nevertheless, the painful reality is that we are extracting more from the ocean than can be replenished: 90% of large marine fish species are depleted and 50% of coral reefs destroyed.
Oceanic Manta (or Manta birostris by its scientific name).
The ocean needs more support and care than ever! And its conservation depends on each and every one of us.
The theme for World Oceans Day 2022 reads as follows: ‘Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean’ , because this year is framed in the UN Decade of Ocean Science, which in turn celebrates the Oceans Conference.
At Condé Nast Traveler we love discover and give visibility to those initiatives that fight to preserve our planet and to commemorate this day, we have spoken with those responsible for a beautiful and ambitious project: panerai Y Razer have partnered with the non-profit environmental organization Conservation International (CI)to support the marine species research.
The two brands will support the manta ray geolocation project started by him marine conservationist and coral reef ecologist of international prestige of CI, the Mark Erdmann, MD whose objective is to protect marine biodiversity and the ocean itself.
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL OF THE MANTA RAYS
Last May, panerai –the high-end watch brand rooted in Swiss watchmaking tradition and Italian design excellence–, and Razer – the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers – announced their partnership with Conservation International during a round table in which they participated Jean-Marc Pontroue (CEO of Panerai), Min Liang Tan (Razer CEO), Richard Jeo (Senior Vice President of Conservation International) and Christian Haagen (watch expert and co-founder of Dailywatch).
The reason? Publicize Panerai and Razer's collaboration with Conservation International to support the ocean literacy and the preservation of the oceans.
This collaboration will focus on satellite tagging manta rays to obtain data (such as temperature, depth and location) that, combined with known hazards and other information, may be used to form conservation management of animals and their habitat.
The plan will be carried out in several places around the world, among which are New Zealand, Fiji, Galapagos, Peru and New Caledonia. There, scientists from Conservation International will monitor the movement of oceanic mantas Thanks to the GPS technology.
In this way, it will be possible track animal habits What reproduction, feeding, aggregation, and migration patterns which, along with known poaching areas and other vital data, will produce useful scientific findings to implement marine protected areas and policies that will improve the lives of coastal communities.
Dr. Mark Erdmann leads the Manta Ray Geolocation Project.
FOR A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM
“The data from our research on manta rays has favored the development of sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities, has supported the creation of new protected areas, and has formed policy changes to protect this species and its marine environment. We are excited to expand this program together with Panerai and Razer,” said Dr. Mark Erdmann, MD director of the manta ray program.
For his part, Jean-Marc Pontroue President of Panerai, commented that "the objective of the ocean conservation it's showing indispensible consideration in everything we do, in manufacturing and everything in between. Our collaboration with Razer and Conservation International is no exception and demonstrates our total commitment to improve the marine environment”.
“The project convincingly shows that protecting the wildlife of the seas is not a zero sum game. Conversely, protecting manta rays encourages a healthy ecosystem, which includes the people who are part of it," added Pontroué.
"The sustainability has become an important part of everything we do, and it extends throughout our ecosystem," he reflected. Patricia Liu, Razer's chief of staff, also thanking the incredible support of her passionate community: "Thanks to them, we have already achieved great achievements, such as save a million trees in collaboration with CI. Our partnership with Panerai is going to focus on defending the ocean, and we're excited to collaborate with CI again, this time in their manta ray tagging program.”
ALL FOR THE OCEANS
The initiative will also form part of the mission Panerai Ocean Conservation Initiative (Panerai Initiative for the Conservation of the Oceans) developed in collaboration with IOC-UNESCO (Unesco Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) in the framework of the ocean culture program UN Decade of Ocean Science for sustainable development.
'Panerai Ocean Conservation Initiative' is a global educational campaign involving 100 universities around the world to illustrate to his students how a luxury brand like Panerai can be a concrete actor against climate change and ocean pollution thanks to its firm commitment to sustainability, and educate thousands of students about the importance of the sea, “so that they think of the ocean in a different way, but above all to become active agents of change. This is the essence of marine literacy: transforming ocean knowledge into action” , they explain from Panerai.
Razer also shares Panerai's passion for sustainability and in 2021 launched its ten-year program to protect nature and the environment, #GoGreenWithRazer. Since then, Razer has led the movement to make sustainability endemic within the world of video games, and continues to offer its community of gamers even more ways to get involved in green causes.
In line with this recently released collaboration, next December Panerai will announce a limited edition series of an emblematic watch with the unmistakable aesthetic of Razer and made with recycled materials.