Malizia Ocean Challenge

The ocean, humans and climate change are intrinsically linked. Every second breath we take comes from the ocean and the ocean mitigates the impacts of climate change by absorbing nearly one third of all man-made CO2. The impacts of this are vast and we see coral bleaching, loss of habitats and changes to ocean currents all as direct impacts from the climate crisis.

This important topic and how vital the ocean is, is often universally neglected from the school syllabus. The Malizia Ocean Challenge programme was created to educate children around the world about the interconnectedness of the ocean and climate and to empower children to think creatively about the solutions which are available to slow this process.

The Malizia Ocean Challenge aims to raise - within a long-term project - awareness for the issue of climate change and its consequences for the ocean´s health, specifically among school kids in European countries. Furthermore, a new Malizia racing yacht will serve as a platform for cutting-edge zero emission tech and as a science lab. Malizia III will race the IMOCA Globe Series, The Ocean Race around the world 2022/23 and the Vendée Globe 2024/25. During these races it will spend over 100 days per year at sea and cover over 70,000 nautical miles in total. By measuring CO2 in the ocean, among other important variables, Malizia is contributing to the scientific understanding of the carbon cycle: 35-50 % of man-made CO2 are absorbed by the ocean, and we need to help improve our understanding of the dynamics of how CO2 is spread through the world oceans.

The Max Planck Institute is sponsoring the scientific labour necessary to treat, analyze and interpret the captured data and to publish specific scientific papers based on our findings. Geomar Institute is ensuring the success of the sensor program with their experience from the Volvo Ocean Race. Malizia has its own school programme and a dedicated full-time school coordinator with 10 years of practical teaching experience.

The education programme is supported by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).