For almost two years, Robert Brewin collected data from the bow of a superyacht as it sailed pristine waters from the Caribbean Sea to the Antarctic Ocean.
The Archimedes, a 222-foot (68-meter) “adventure” yacht then owned by the late hedge funder James Simons, boasts a gym, a Jacuzzi and an elevator. But between 2018 and 2020, Brewin was concerned only with the boat’s Sea-Bird Scientific Solar Tracking Aiming System, installed to measure light reflecting off of the water. A senior lecturer at the UK’s University of Exeter, Brewin and his colleagues were analyzing microplankton — microscopic organisms at the base of the marine food chain — by studying the ocean’s color. The Sea-Bird’s readouts helped them verify satellite imagery.
Brewin’s was not your typical superyacht itinerary, but he is one of hundreds of scientists to have used an adventure yacht — also known as expedition or explorer yachts — to conduct research on the ocean. In a paper published in January, Brewin and his co-authors touted the potential of “harnessing superyachts” for science, concluding that “reaching out to wealthy citizen scientists may help fill [research capability] gaps.”
It’s a view shared — and being pushed — by the Yacht Club of Monaco and the Explorers Club, a New York-based organization focused on exploration and science. In March, the groups co-hosted an environmental symposium that included an awards ceremony for yacht owners who “stand out for their commitment to protecting the marine environment.” The Archimedes won a “Science & Discovery” award.
“If a yacht is operating 365 days a year, rather than having it sit idle, it’d be much better for it to contribute a positive return through science and conservation,” said Rob McCallum, an Explorers Club fellow and founder of U.S.-based EYOS Expeditions, which runs adventure yacht voyages.
EYOS charters yachts from private owners for its excursions and is a founding member of Yachts for Science, a 4-year-old organization that matches privately owned yachts with scientists who need time at sea. Other members include yacht builder Arksen, the media firm BOAT International and the nonprofits Nekton Foundation and Ocean Family Foundation.
Yachts for Science will enable about $1 million worth of donated yacht time this year, McCallum said, a figure he expects to reach $15 million by 2029.
“There’s a personal satisfaction that we are contributing to something that is bigger than us,” said Tom Peterson, who co-owns an insurance underwriting company in California and has what he jokingly refers to as a “mini superyacht.” Every year for the past decade, Peterson has donated about 15 to 20 days of time and fuel on the 24-meter Valkyrie to scientists, whom he takes out himself as a licensed captain and former scuba dive operator. He often works with the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, and allows researchers to stay aboard for days at a time instead of having to constantly make the 1½-hour trip to and from shore.
To link up with scientists, Peterson works with the International SeaKeepers Society, a Florida-based nonprofit that engages the yachting community to support ocean conservation and research.
“The more we understand things about the ocean in general, the better we all are in the long run,” he said.
When “superyacht” and “the environment” appear in the same sentence, it’s usually in a different context. In 2019, one study estimated that a single 71-meter superyacht has the same annual carbon footprint as about 200 cars. In 2021, another paper found that superyachts were the greatest single contributor to the carbon footprint of 20 of the world’s most prominent billionaires, accounting for 64% of their combined emissions.
“If you really want to respect the environment, you can just go surf,” said Grégory Salle, a senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and author of the book Superyachts: Luxury, Tranquility and Ecocide. Salle is open to the idea that superyachts could be used to advance scientific research but said it’s contradictory for anyone to buy a superyacht and claim to be truly concerned about the environment.
Explorer yachts aren’t the only way scientists can reach their destinations, but demand for dedicated research vessels does outstrip available supply. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, arguably the world’s greatest collector of oceanographic data, has a fleet of 15 research and survey vessels for the use of its scientists. Academic researchers can also apply to use the fleet, often at a subsidized rate. But scientists request roughly 15,000 to 20,000 days of boat time every year. In 2019, NOAA was able to fill just 2,300 of them, according to an internal study.
That gap is particularly problematic as the planet warms. Oceans provide services that scientists call “existentially important,” producing more than half of the oxygen we breathe and serving as the world’s largest carbon sink. They also absorb 30% of our carbon emissions and 90% of the excess heat generated by them.
G. Mark Miller, a retired NOAA Corps officer who was in charge of several of the agency’s research vessels, has a different solution in mind when it comes to bolstering ocean research: smaller boats, fit for purpose. Superyachts can cost north of $500 million, he says; “why don’t we build a hundred $5 million vessels and flood the ocean science community?”
Christopher Walsh, captain of the Archimedes, says he and his crew love taking part in science initiatives, especially when there’s an educational component. “I get a real thrill when we can stream to the classrooms — you can’t imagine the enthusiasm the kids display,” Walsh said. “That gives me a lot of hope for the future.”
Rolex is a sponsor of Explorers Club and of Greener Living, a Bloomberg Green section focused on individual decarbonization.