Ev lve our organisation sustainably

Evolve our organisation sustainably 05

We must lead by example. We’ll evolve our organisation sustainably and minimise our environmental impact while working towards our vision of a healthy Ocean for all.

We are currently measuring our emissions against scopes one and two, and aspiring to achieve net zero status across all our operations in line with science based targets.

OUR FIVE-YEAR GOALS

• Actively participate in global breeding programmes to help preserve species that are facing challenges in the wild.

• Operate an ethical and sustainable model that contributes to the economic health of Plymouth and the South West.

• Continue to renew and refurbish our Aquarium to enable important Ocean conservation research and great visitor experiences.

• Engage a large and diverse audience by producing creative, impactful and accessible digital content.

• Our sustainability working group will support sustainability across our operations and help us contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Our Partnerships

We work in collaboration with a wide range of partners and stakeholders.

Corporate

Corporate partners that believe in our ethos, provide essential funding and resources for our conservation initiatives.

Conservation organisations

We partner with like-minded organisations to work towards shared goals for a healthy Ocean.

Community

We work with a wide range of community groups to use their power to make real changes to protect habitats and support everyone to access their Ocean.

Government

Our team work with local and national government to deliver our restoration projects and influence policy that impacts the Ocean and society.

Research

By collaborating with other scientific institutes we ensure that our onthe-ground research and evaluation has the best impact and reach.

Education

Our learning programmes are designed in collaboration with teachers to ensure that the Ocean can be taught within curriculum subjects.

UN Decade

Our programmes align with the global sustainable development goals, as well as delivering official actions for the societal outcomes for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

• Collaborate. We will always work with local communities, empowering them to be part of the solution, whatever the issue.

• Take a broad habitat focus, supporting the protection and restoration of key flora and integral abiotic factors, before focusing on individual fauna species.

• Ensure direct and indirect habitat pressures are considered and mitigated where possible.

• Use a systems approach, to ensure that ecosystems and socioeconomic systems are connected.

• Carefully monitor habitat protection and restoration schemes from both biodiversity and social perspectives. We will not just communicate the results, but use them to improve what we do too.

• Champion Ocean biodiversity, and our inextricable interconnection with the Ocean.

• Always encourage a physical and emotional connection with the Ocean.

• Use natural resources sustainably.

OUR FOCUS Ocean Habitats:

We will deliver our strategy against three programmes:

Ocean Experiences:

Blue Meadows is our seagrass protection, regeneration and restoration programme. We work alongside local communities to locate and then protect seagrass meadows. We are currently working in Plymouth, Falmouth, the Solent and Torbay with ambition to restore at least 10% of UK seagrass (700 hectares). We are trialling different planting and growing techniques in our large scale seagrass nursery.

Ocean Advocacy:

The OCT owns and operates the Nation’s Aquarium, which sits on the shores of Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, receiving 280,000 visitors a year. Our team use the NMA as a base for our world class schools programme, as well as outreach into communities, taking people snorkelling, running our ‘Ocean Squad’ club for young people and taking the Ocean into hospitals and care homes via VR headsets. Raising the voice of the Ocean at all levels of society, helping people to understand how we are all connected to the Ocean and what they can do to help.