Oceana – Channel Islands Expeditions
As part of its long‑standing partnership with Oceana, the world’s largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation, Blancpain supports scientific expeditions aimed at documenting marine biodiversity and strengthening the protection of critical ocean ecosystems.
The expedition conducted off Southern California, around the Channel Islands, forms part of a three‑phase research program focused on studying and safeguarding one of the most biologically rich marine environments in the North Pacific—often referred to as the “Galápagos of North America.”
Study Area
The Channel Islands region encompasses an exceptional diversity of marine habitats, including:
• Extensive kelp forests
• Rocky reef systems
• Deep coral habitats
These ecosystems play a vital role in ocean resilience, providing shelter for thousands of marine species while contributing to natural climate regulation and coastal stability.
Scientific Objectives
The primary objectives of the Channel Islands Expedition were to:
• Document marine biodiversity across a wide range of habitats
• Collect robust scientific data on ecosystem health
• Support Oceana’s conservation campaigns through scientific evidence and visual documentation
• Contribute to the development and reinforcement of marine protection policies
Methodology and Fieldwork
The final expedition of the three part program was completed in November, marking the conclusion of a comprehensive scientific effort.
Over five days, the expedition team surveyed 30 sites across:
• Santa Barbara Island
• Cortes Bank
• Tanner Bank
• Catalina Island
• Hidden Reef
• Santa Cruz Island
Fieldwork combined complementary scientific methods, including:
• The collection of 28 environmental DNA (eDNA) samples, enabling species identification through genetic traces found in seawater
• 11 scientific scuba diving surveys, incorporating 30 meter transects to quantify habitats, algae, invertebrates, and fish populations
This standardized and data driven approach provides a detailed and measurable assessment of marine biodiversity in the region.
Results and Conservation Impact
The first two expeditions in the program identified more than 13,000 unique marine species, highlighting the extraordinary biological richness of the Channel Islands and surrounding waters.
These findings played a key role in supporting Oceana’s successful advocacy efforts in California, including policy measures to phase out the use of set gillnets. These nearly invisible nets—often stretching for miles and anchored to the seafloor—pose a serious threat to more than 100 marine species through entanglement, injury, or mortality.
Results and analyses from the third expedition will further strengthen the scientific foundation for ongoing and future conservation measures.
Looking Ahead
With extensive scientific and visual documentation covering thousands of species across kelp forests, rocky reefs, and coral habitats, Oceana continues its efforts to protect the Channel Islands from additional threats, including:
• Oil pollution
• Plastic pollution
• Increasing human pressures on coastal ecosystems
The data collected through this expedition serves as a critical tool for informing policy decisions and ensuring the long term protection of these unique marine environments.