EBI has supported non-profit, independent research organization Oceanites since 2019.

And EBI welcomes the environmental industry to participate in this citizen-science initiative with direct contributions of donations or time, and to consider taking advantage of an opportunity to join us on adventure of a lifetime to the 7th continent.

The basic mission of Oceanites has been the monitoring of penguin population changes on the Antarctic peninsula. With the upcoming 2024-2025 season that is the Antarctic summer, Oceanites adds to its list of over 2,400 site visits to more than 250 site locations by a team of mostly volunteer scientists and students that do penguin population research.

Oceanites Research
Oceanites research and data is used to form and support policy by multiple international bodies with roles in governing Antarctic natural assets that desire an independent source un-swayed by an national point of view. Recent advances in drone and satellite scanning technology has enabled us to augment our on-the-ground seasonal census to enhance our annual reporting in the following assets:
  • Antarctic site inventory (ASI)
  • State of Antarctic Penguins report (SOAP)
  • The collaborative MAPPD database (Mapping Application for Penguin Population and Dynamics)
  • Independent observer reports to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the International Antarctic Treaty Organization
  • Collaboration with universities and other research organizations focused on Penguins or Antarctic marine species or ecosystems
How did EBI become involved with Oceanites?

In December 2018 EBJ editor Grant Ferrier arranged passage on an expedition to Antarctica to celebrate the retirement of long time colleague at Environmental Business Journal, George Stubbs. Joined by his two youngest children, they were amazed and intrigued by the sights and sounds of the Antarctic, as well as the array of scientific knowledge and talent on the expedition. Through active dialogue with these researchers they discovered there was no accurate global census of penguin population, but there was an organization that had continuously compiled comprehensive data on the three main species that occupy the Antarctic peninsula: Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie penguins.

With a history of quantitative analysis on the environmental industry, we focused on the ambitious task of a global census of all 19 penguin species, but found the disparate research organizations and regions was an overwhelming challenge to aggregate into one comprehensive analysis. Secondarily we had little experience in obtaining funding for such an undertaking.
We turned to Oceanites to gain further perspective on its work and soon became connected with its founder Ron Naveen, a former attorney who had left the profession to start penguin counting more than 30 years ago. We soon formed a connection and Ferrier became a contributor, a board member, and was elected chairman in 2024.
What EBI can offer to Oceanites donors
There are three options to support Oceanite’s research team, as well as upgrade the digital infrastructure for interpreting, displaying and modeling the resulting data from this and previous season’s data..
  • 1. Make a direct donation to the organization Oceanites.
  • 2. Adopt a colony: For donations of $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or more you or your company can become benefactors of a specific penguin colony and receive periodic reports and visitation rights (see details in the links below)
  • 3. Join us on February 16th to February 28th, 2025 for a comfortable and exhilarating data collecting expedition to the Antarctic peninsula at a reduced rate sponsored by our expedition partners Polar Latitudes.
    (All inclusive cabins are usually $30,000-40,000 for two depending on class, but through our partnership with Polar Latitudes we offer a two person expedition for $25,000. (for each of these PL is allocating $6,500 to Oceanites for our research) Expeditioners will need to get to Ushuaia, Argentina for embarkation, a direct flight from Buenos Aires.)
So please consider joining me on this quest to support this non-profit non-governmental organization and its research, as well as on this exhibition or through an ongoing donation to the organization or adopting a specific colony. As a registered non-profit 501c3 all contributions are tax deductible of course, although the contributions you make as an individual may go well beyond any short-term tax benefit.

Note: Supporters interested in the February 16-28, 2025 Antarctic peninsula expedition should contract directly with Oceanites or through EBI