image: The Save Our Seas Foundation founder has a rare encounter with a mother and calf pair of humpback whales.
Credit: Photo © Luke Saddler
The 20th anniversary year of the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) has given many cause for reflection, not least its Founder, His Excellency Abdulmohsen Al-Sheikh. And it is in this reflection that His Excellency has expressed how supporting two decades of shark science, conservation and education has been his way of giving thanks. The SOSF has given His Excellency, whose love for the ocean has deepened over thousands of dives and many hours spent in the company of sharks and rays, a tangible means of giving back to the natural world for the incredible joy it has given him. It is fitting, then, that in this same auspicious anniversary year, His Excellency’s work has been recognised by the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences with the presentation of its prestigious NOGI Distinguished Service Award.
His Excellency grew up in the Arabian desert, a vast sea of sand that makes a life lived in love with the ocean seem unlikely. But an introduction to the technicolour reefs of the Red Sea changed the course of his life; a first encounter with a grey reef shark set the compass in the direction that would become his life’s mission. Countless underwater hours later, His Excellency founded the Geneva-based SOSF in 2003 to help address the growing conservation issues he had witnessed at first hand. At the time, sharks were still low on the list for funding and attention, but the presentation of a single patrol boat to conservation officials at Cocos Island in the Pacific Ocean established a means of enforcing conservation measures that has had lasting impact. Since then, the SOSF has grown to fund 482 marine conservation projects in 91 countries.
The vision of the SOSF remains one of sustainability for oceans and its key focus has always been on highly threatened sharks and rays and the historically under-funded efforts to research and protect them. His Excellency’s vision has been one of financial support to the experts who have dedicated their lives to sharks and rays through scientific research, applied conservation projects and education initiatives. The impact of this vision, which now encompasses financial, scientific, practical and communications support, has been immense; SOSF project leaders have researched more than 258 species and described 14 new species, helped list 140 species on the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to regulate 90% of the global fin trade, and published 567 papers.
Over the past two decades, the SOSF has launched scientific careers and guided conservation policy. In doing so, it has helped shift public perceptions and build appreciation for the ecological importance of misunderstood species. In a sector where non-profits often lose steam, it has steadied support by establishing long-term centres and funding key long-term partner organisations. The SOSF funds three permanent centres that together have reached 50 000 learners. The SOSF Shark Education Centre in South Africa connects the public to the ocean through experiential education programmes. Research conducted at the SOSF D’Arros Research Centre, Seychelles, helped create the D’Arros Marine Protected Area. Seychelles has now achieved more than 30% protection of its territorial waters, exceeding United Nations targets. The Shark Research Center in the USA made history when Professor Mahmood Shivji and colleagues sequenced the white shark genome. They have since sequenced genomes for great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks, breakthroughs that help manage these imperilled species.
But leadership really means vision and guidance. And it is His Excellency’s unrelenting gaze to the future that drives the direction of the SOSF. ‘We must nurture a new generation of scientists, conservationists, storytellers and educators,’ His Excellency maintains. ‘Their support is essential to the longevity of the good work taking place across our oceans and the strides we have already made.’ Taking a ‘risk’ on emerging researchers, developing nations and under-represented species has injected new energy and seen growth in the number and diversity of project leaders, project areas and innovative ideas. The NOGI Distinguished Service Award therefore reflects the dedication of one person who is steeped in the belief in a network of other equally dedicated individuals fighting for the world’s oceans.
About the Save Our Seas Foundation
Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2003, the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) is a philanthropic organisation whose ultimate goal is to create a legacy of securing the health and sustainability of our oceans, and the communities that depend on them, for generations to come.
Its support for research, conservation and education projects worldwide focuses on endangered sharks, rays and skates. Three permanent SOSF research and education centres reinforce its actions in Seychelles, South Africa and the USA.
Contact
Jade Schultz
Global Communications Manager
Save Our Seas Foundation
Rue Philippe Plantamour, 20
CH - 1201 Geneva
jade@saveourseas.com
+27 82 873 17 88