OceanX explained

OceanX is an ocean exploration initiative founded by Mark Dalio and Ray Dalio, founder of investment firm Bridgewater Associates, an initiative by Dalio Philanthropies.^[1] OceanX utilises science, technology and media^[2] to explore and engage in public awareness activities and promotion efforts for the oceans and marine conservation efforts.^[3] The initiative also aids and facilitates ocean research for scientists, science institutions, media companies and philanthropy partners.^[4]

Vessels

OceanX's first vessel was the MV Alucia, a 56-meter research and exploration vessel bought by Dalio in 2011.^[5] The ship was outfitted with two deep-sea submersibles, a helipad, science labs and media facilities.

In 2021, the Alucia was sold, to be replaced^[6] by the 87-metre OceanXplorer, a former oil exploration ship named Volstad Surveyor. It carries 4 submersibles and hosts a dive center, a media center and 4 laboratories.^[7]

OceanX Media

OceanX Media (formerly Alucia Productions) is the media production arm of OceanX.^[8] OceanX Media worked with the BBC Earth on the nature documentary series Blue Planet II, taking BBC Studios on nine missions that contributed to four episodes of the series,^{[9] [10]} including Episode 2, The Deep, in which OceanX and BBC conducted the first-ever deep-sea submersible dives to the Antarctic seafloor.^{[11] [12]} The episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program. A video from the dive won the Webby Award in Social: Education and Discovery in 2019.^[13] The video was directed by OceanX Media Creative Director Mark Dalio.^[14]

Alongside BBC Earth, OceanX Media co-produced Oceans: Our Blue Planet, the Giant Screen companion film to Blue Planet II.^{[15] [16]} The film is sponsored by Microsoft.^[17]

OceanX Media content has also been featured in media outlets including Mashable, Business Insider,^[18] Scientific American,^[19] Earther,^[20] and Discovery Channel Canada.^[21]

Accomplishments

OceanX missions and missions aboard the MV Alucia have been responsible for:

• Capturing the first-ever footage of a giant squid (Architeuthis).^[22]
• Exploring the Great Barrier Reef with Sir David Attenborough for the Emmy Award-winning series Great Barrier Reef (2015). ^[22]
• Exploring the ocean’s blue holes for the Emmy Award-winning National Geographic channel series Years of Living Dangerously (2014-2016).
• Discovery of the 2009 wreckage of Air France Flight 447.^[23]
• Discovery of the Baltic Sea anomaly in the Gulf of Bothnia (June 2011).
• Discovery of the Galápagos (jaguar) catshark (Bythaelurus giddingsi).^[24]
• Discovery of over 180 newly-described species of bioluminescent fishes.^[25]
• The first-ever open-water test of Orpheus, a deep-sea drone prototype developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to explore the deepwater hadal zone and, eventually, the suspected subsurface oceans of Jupiter's moon Europa.^{[18] [26]}  

Partners

In addition to its internal science and media operations, OceanX partners with several media, science and philanthropy organizations to facilitate and support their ocean research.^[27] Partners include the American Museum of Natural History, BBC Studios, filmmaker James Cameron, photographer Paul Nicklen, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, explorer Sylvia Earle,^[4] and scientists Edith Widder^[19] and Samantha Joye.^[20]

OceanX co-created the #OurBluePlanet digital initiative with BBC Earth with the goal of getting 1 billion people talking about the oceans.^{[28] [29]}

In 2018, OceanX partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to commit $185 million over four years to ocean exploration and protection efforts.^[30]

References

1. Web site: Ocean Exploration and Awareness. www.daliophilanthropies.org. 2019-04-02.
2. Web site: OceanX Aims to Inspire Human Connection to the Sea. www.yahoo.com. en-US. 2019-04-02.
3. Web site: The founder of the world's largest hedge fund is launching a new mission to explore the ocean — and says it's 'more exciting and more important' than going to Mars. Loria. Kevin. Business Insider. 2019-04-02.
4. Web site: OceanX . Announcing the Launch of OceanX, a Bold New Mission to Explore the Ocean and Bring it Back to the World . 2019-04-02 . www.prnewswire.com . en.
5. Web site: Limb . Lottie . 11 February 2024 . Ocean Xplorer: On board the billionaire's research vessel broadcasting from the deep sea . Euro News.
6. Web site: OceanXplorer: Inside the unique expedition yacht unlike anything else afloat . 2024-10-14 . www.boatinternational.com . en.
7. Web site: OceanX Our Ship: OceanXplorer . 2024-10-14 . oceanx.org.
8. Web site: OceanX Media. Vimeo. en. 2019-04-02.
9. Web site: Inside the 'Blue Planet II' Dive Into the Deep Sea. Oceans. en. 2019-04-02.
10. Web site: Mark Dalio and OceanX Combine Science and Storytelling. Schultz. Abby. www.barrons.com. en-US. 2019-04-02.
11. Web site: OceanX Goes 3,000 Feet Under Antarctic Waters. 2019-02-13. ROAM. en-US. 2019-04-02.
12. Web site: Antarctica's seafloor is teeming with life, rare submersible footage shows. Freedman. Andrew. 2018-03-08. Mashable.
13. Web site: The Deepest Dive in Antarctica Reveals a Sea Floor Teeming With Life – OceanX & BBC Earth -- The Webby Awards. en-US. 2019-05-15.
14. Web site: OceanX's Video Wins Best Video in Social: Education and Discovery Category in the 23rd Annual Webby Awards. PRWeb. 2019-05-15.
15. Web site: Postcards from the Deep Ocean by a Veteran Filmmaker. 2018-03-22. Goop. en-US. 2019-04-02.
16. Web site: Discover a spectacular world of life beneath the waves at the Ontario Science Centre with Oceans: Our Blue Planet. Centre. Ontario Science. www.newswire.ca. en. 2019-04-02.
17. Web site: Microsoft to Sponsor Oceans: Our Blue Planet, the Newest Film from BBC Earth, Giant Screen Films and OceanX Media. Giant Screen Cinema Association. en-US. 2019-04-02.
18. Web site: NASA is testing a new submarine that will hunt for undiscovered sea life — and scientists eventually want it to look for aliens on Europa. Brueck. Hilary. Business Insider. 2019-04-02.
19. Web site: Submersibles Peer into the Greatest Living Light Show on Earth [Video]]. Saplakoglu. Yasemin. Scientific American. en. 2019-04-02.
20. Web site: This Badass Woman Explores the Deep Sea to Help Us Save It. Funes. Yessenia. Earther. 30 March 2018 . en-US. 2019-04-02.
21. Web site: Daily Planet Science News and Video Clips. Discovery. 2019-04-02.
22. Web site: The Final Frontier...with Mark Dalio from OceanX. www.superyachttimes.com. en. 2019-04-02.
23. News: What Happened to Air France Flight 447?. Hylton. Wil S.. 2011-05-04. The New York Times. 2019-04-02. en-US. 0362-4331.
24. Web site: OceanX: Discover the Space Few Have Dared Explore . 2019-04-02 . OceanX . en-US.
25. Web site: Creatures Of Light Bioluminescence. 2018-05-12. OceanX. en-US. 2019-04-02.
26. Web site: NASA dropped a space exploration robot into Cape Cod's waters to reach the darkest unknowns. Kaufman. Mark. Mashable. March 2019 . en. 2019-04-02.
27. Web site: Ray Dalio, James Cameron launch OceanX. Huddleston. Tom Jr.. 2018-06-05. www.cnbc.com. 2019-04-02.
28. Web site: Our Blue Planet BBC Earth. Our Blue Planet. en-gb. 2019-04-02.
29. Web site: BBC #OurBluePlanet (@OurBluePlanet) Twitter. twitter.com. en. 2019-04-02.
30. Web site: Michael R. Bloomberg and Ray Dalio's OceanX Announce Over $185 Million for New Partnership to Increase Ocean Exploration and Protection. Bloomberg Philanthropies. en-US. 2019-04-02.