IMPACT EXPERIENCE:
OCEAN CONSERVATION
February 6-8, 2018: Nassau, Bahamas
THE HARD TRUTH WE FACE TODAY IS
THAT THE OCEAN IS DYING…
But, it’s not too late to save it…with your creativity, resourcefulness and
entrepreneurial talents we can make a difference.
Why the Ocean and Why Now?
The Ocean is probably the biggest “business” in the world. It is responsible for every other breath you take, it has absorbed a quarter of our CO2 emissions, and puts food on our plates.
BUT, it is in danger. You may not be able to see it from above the surface, but the threats are many and the risks are real: plastics are choking our sea life; pollution is causing ‘dead zones’; our corals are dying; climate change is heating our Ocean, making it more acidic; and too many boats are chasing fewer and fewer fish.
“Now, the good news is the Ocean is amazingly resilient and could recover, but it needs each and every one of us to play a part.”
In the absence of political leadership and will, business leadership and entrepreneurial innovation is more important than ever. Whether your company’s business activities are linked directly to the Ocean or not, there are many ways you can have a direct impact on promoting a healthier, cleaner, safer and more productive Ocean.
This will be an incredible couple of days to truly gain a deeper understanding of this global issue facing our world – but Maverick style. That means you won’t just be sitting in a classroom for 3 days. Instead you’ll have a chance to get in the ocean to explore the reefs, swim with sharks and even be a “citizen scientist” for a day collecting data and tagging sharks!
Then, we’ll roll up our sleeves and work on ways we can make a difference.
The UN’s Global Goal #14: Life Underwater and Ocean Conservation is the key focus Maverick will be working on Impacting in 2018. This is so important and timely right now and we’ll continue on the momentum from the BVI Art Reef Project developed by Maverick members on Necker Island with Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite and the #BLUE ocean plastics project we incubated this past year.
The Experience:
Join renowned marine biologists and Ocean experts for a totally unique, one-of-a-kind immersive impact experience…including:
Shark Tagging – You’ll be part of the science team – not just bystanders. Your expedition will be focused on collecting critical scientific data on sharks. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that most people will never experience.
Shark tagging is a research method for obtaining important data on the biology and behavior of sharks. This approach involves safely catching sharks from 3-10 feet in length, bringing them onto a submerged platform on a boat, and quickly collecting measurements, tissues samples, and applying tags to then study the shark’s behavior.
Why this is Important?
Sharks are amongst the most captivating yet threatened groups of animals on the planet. Due to decades of irresponsible overfishing, many species of large sharks have declined in abundance up to 90% in many parts of the world. Today, over one-third of oceanic shark species are threatened with extinction. In order to create meaningful national and international policies to conserve shark populations, scientific data on their behavior, movements, and physiology is critically needed.
Diving with sharks (if SCUBA certified) – Want to get even more up close in the water with sharks? Divers will get a chance to be eye-to-eye with these magnificent and misunderstood creatures in the wild.
Reef discovery and Ocean Exploration – Coral reefs are one of the most important worldwide treasures, protected by UNESCO. Not only are they magnificent marine scenery but corals are pivotal to our survival. The bad news is reefs around the world are now dying at an unprecedented rate.
The coral reefs are wildlife habitats that provide food, shelter, and protection to tens of thousands of marine species. They help form a natural line of defense against erosion and storm surges, protecting the shorelines from their destructive force. But the most important role corals play is they provide us with oxygen. Marine biologists report corals are responsible for up to 70% of all the oxygen released into the atmosphere (even though they only cover 0.2% of the ocean floor.)
The frightening stat is corals are now vanishing twice as fast than the tropical rainforests. A report conducted by the World Resources Institute advises that if this trend continues to accelerate, in less than 3 decades from now, the complete disappearance of the corals will become a reality. This mass extinction of corals threatens our very existence.
Maverick Cause Partners
& Experts Joining Us:
Dr. Gallagher is a world-authority on sharks and has lead hundreds of shark research trips and expeditions around the world and expose hundreds of people to sharks up-close. His NGO Beneath the Waves conducts cutting-edge research on sharks to create meaningful data needed for their conservation.
Karen Sack, founder Ocean Unite. Karen brings over 20 years of experience working for international non-governmental organizations on environmental issues. She was formerly the Senior Director for International Oceans at The Pew Charitable Trusts where she helped initiate the Global Ocean Commission. Before that, she was the Head of Greenpeace International’s Political & Business Unit and the Head of their international oceans campaign.
In 2004, Karen was the first person from a non-governmental organization to speak at a regular session of the United Nations General Assembly, representing the concerns of over 60 groups from around the world over the plight of our oceans.
These are some of the issues
facing the ocean that we will
go deeper on:
The Impact
After being immersed in actually experiencing the issues facing the Ocean, we need your brainpower, resources and entrepreneurial insights to make a difference. You’ll be tasked with the following:
Help accelerate some of the most promising ventures already in support of the ocean. We’ll bring in companies dedicated to making an impact for the ocean and put them on the “hot seat” for a deep dive into their business model and revenue streams.
We’ve already identified several interesting and innovative companies making products from repurposed ocean trash, a for profit artificial reef business and a few others.
Plus, we have an internal project already in development. While on Necker Island this past year, Mavericks were recently challenged by Sir Richard Branson and our cause partner, Ocean Unite, to develop a self-sustaining business that can help reduce marine plastic.
The project being incubated is #BLUE, a for-profit consulting company to help companies implement key initiatives to shift their plastic usage, waste and recycling. It’s being lead by a team of young entrepreneurs being selected and finalized right now. To help accelerate this project, we’ll also be bringing in the team together for mentoring and help here too.
Help develop a “BLUE Tool Kit” for businesses to profitably use in alignment with ocean conservation. The idea is to utilize Maverick members voices and reach across industries and markets by providing “fill-in-the-blank” marketing ideas that will have a potential positive ROI for businesses and the ocean. This could be as simple as a new idea for a promotion or a more deeply integrated internal campaign across the company.
And all of this is just a small part of our time together. This will be a truly unique and impactful experience for you. We are at a tipping point… and we need to act now.
*Net Proceeds will go to the Maverick Impact Fund in support of Ocean Conservation
Can’t make it? You can optionally donate to the IMPACT fund to help with ongoing Ocean conservation initiatives to create a ripple effect. Contact ally@maverickdna.com if you’d like to donate.
About Maverick1000
Maverick members are a global network of industry leading entrepreneurs and accomplished business leaders, connecting in bold new ways to challenge and collectively support each other’s biggest business goals, engage in reinvigorating experiences and co-create a worldwide multiplier impact. (You can learn more about the group at Maverick1000.com)
