Pristine Seas Expeditions
Blancpain was a frontrunner in the support of the Pristine Seas initiative as founding partner from 2011 to 2016. Lead by National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence, Dr. Enric Sala, the Pristine Seas Expeditions were dedicated to exploring and protecting the precious few remaining truly unspoiled, wild ocean areas on Earth. The expeditions studied and filmed these areas as part of the effort to educate the public and governments on the value and uniqueness of their ecosystems and to secure governmental pledges to protect them. The program helped protect marine areas from the Russian Arctic to the South Pacific’s Coral Sea through tropical archipelagos and temperate seas harboring underwater forests of giant kelp.
Clipperton Atoll
Pristine Seas, in collaboration with the Government of France, carried out a 16-day expedition to Clipperton Atoll in March 2016 to conduct comprehensive quantitative surveys of the health of its largely unknown marine environment and produce a documentary film to highlight this unique ecosystem. The research included quantitative surveys of shallow flora and fauna using scuba diving, pelagic (open ocean) communities using baited stereo-cameras, and deep-sea habitats using National Geographic’s drop-cams and a 3-person submersible. The team also used acoustic and satellite tags to examine movement of apex predators such as sharks and tunas.
Revillagigedo Archipelago
Some 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Baja California lies the Revillagigedo Archipelago, which consists of four islands of volcanic origin: Socorro, Clarion, San Benedicto, and Roca Partida. Since 1994, they have been declared a Mexican biosphere reserve, but only six nautical miles around the islands were protected. The rest of the waters of the archipelago were subject to industrial and sport fishing, mostly targeting large ocean predators. The expedition to the Revillagigedo Archipelago supported by Blancpain encouraged a recent decision (2017) made by the Mexican government to create the largest marine protected area in North America. Extending over some 148,000 km2, this new reserve will contribute to the protection of the hundreds of species that inhabit or pass through the archipelago.
Galapagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are a hotspot of biodiversity and endemicity, both on land and at sea. They are one of the most “unique and irreplaceable” areas in the world, including 57 species in the IUCN Red List. Another unique characteristic of these islands is the unconventional coexistence of tropical species, temperate species, and typically Southern Ocean species within a small geographic region. Despite the Galápagos Islands’ unparalleled value to our natural heritage, little scientific information existed on their marine ecosystems beyond the narrow, shallow strip of ocean surrounding the archipelago. And, until recently, less than 1 percent of the islands’ waters was fully protected from fishing.
Outer Seychelles Islands
Situated just north of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles are a remote archipelago of 115 islands. Though the islands are known as a celebrity vacation destination, they hold natural treasures far greater in value. The Outer Seychelles Islands are home to pristine miniature worlds that contain untouched habitats teeming with wildlife.
Rapa
Rapa Iti and Marotiri, the southernmost islands of French Polynesia, have long been a haven for nature, remote as they are in an already remote region. Inhabited relatively lightly by Polynesians throughout most of history, these far-flung islands have been Free of the intense fishing and development that have altered other areas so dramatically in recent centuries.
Palau
In September 2013, Palau’s President Tommy Remengesau announced his intention to protect 80 percent of Palau’s waters as a National Marine Sanctuary. For the month of September 2014, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala, along with a team of key scientists and filmmakers, explored, surveyed, and documented the diversity and abundance of the marine life that would be protected by the new offshore sanctuary. The team also assessed how well inshore marine protected areas have performed to date.
Franz Joseph Land
Franz Josef Land, a remote Russian archipelago, harbors a wild Arctic ecosystem that includes polar bears, walruses, whales, seals, and large nesting colonies of seabirds. But global warming may be affecting this remote ecosystem in ways we still do not fully comprehend. In July-August 2013, National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala led a Pristine Seas expedition to Franz Josef Land in collaboration with Russkaya Arktika National Park, the Russian Geographical Society, and National Geographic. An international group of scientists and filmmakers assessed how pristine the ocean-land ecosystem is and compared its current state with historical scientific baselines and photographs obtained by explorers in the late 1800s.