The ocean absorbs almost a third of the CO2 released into the atmosphere every year, changing the chemistry of the seawater, a process called ocean acidification. Calcifying organisms, like pteropods, that are critical to the food web are one of the most vulnerable organisms because the changes in ocean chemistry are dissolving their shells.

Hello Ocean is working with Swift Engineering, Dr. Nina Bednarsek, and Dr. Ryan McCabe to create a global citizen science study on the effects of ocean acidification on pteropods. Your donation will support the pilot study’s goals including equipment design and testing, data analysis, and optimizing for future citizen science research.

A Changing Environment Threatens Cetaceans
The role cetaceans play in marine ecosystems surrounding Belize and the Western Caribbean or the consequences they face from anthropogenic impacts are largely unknown. Now they face new threats and changes to their environment. However, the impacts cannot be understood without critical data.

Your donation will facilitate the first systematic data to assess the status and abundance of cetaceans in the Western Caribbean. The results will be used to support improved protection for marine mammals and pelagic ecosystems. Partnering with scientist Eric Ramos, Hello Ocean aims to create an opportunity for citizen scientists across the globe to listen and record the vocalizations of whales and dolphins to further the research. The pilot study is the first step in expanding this opportunity to citizen scientists.

Our film One Simple Question was 50% funded through a crowdfunding campaign. The money didn’t go to people. It went directly to making the film - licensing fees, equipment, etc. Now, thanks to many of you, One Simple Question is being seen across the country and will be available on DVD before the end of the year.

We believed in the film enough to dedicate countless hours and you believed in us enough to donate. Our team has expanded and our work is now more critical. We hope you will join us in this campaign to understand and protect the oceans.

This project is all about CROWD-SOURCING... data, resources, boats, equipment, science and funding. It's community driven science. It's Real Science by Real People. Because of this communal effort, we feel crowdfunding is not only an appropriate, but an ideal avenue for helping to fund this project.

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We really apprieciate your relevent connections & introductions. If you  know someone who can help with this project, let us know.

We are looking for print shops to contribute t-shirts at a reduced cost for our donor rewards.

We need translators to transcribe English and Spanish video interviews. This work can be done anywhere you have Internet and a computer.

We are especially interested in gear that will support ocean research and media and will happily accept new or used gear in working condition. We are looking for the following: 

Joining an ocean conservation campaign and pledging your hard-earned money can be risky, but an even greater risk is taken through inaction thereby entrusting our future and the health of our planet to someone else. We will face challenges after the pilot study is complete and we move toward expanding the project into the citizen science effort we are aiming for. However, this is important work and the goals are achievable. That is why your support and our elbow grease are very important. Together we can make this possible.

Thank you for your donation! You’re awesome and we couldn’t thank you enough. So, please select one of our donor perks as a token of our thanks. (All perks have been donated to Hello Ocean by our sponsors - thank them for believing in this project!)