ROLEX AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LAUNCH THE NEXT SERIES IN THE ROLEX NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PERPETUAL PLANET EXPEDITIONS: THE OCEAN
3rd June 2025 - Rolex and National Geographic announce the two-year series of expeditions to one of the planet’s most critical and least understood environments: the ocean. From seashore to sea floor and from pole to pole, the goal of this trailblazing endeavour is to document the least studied parts of the ocean and the rapid changes it is facing, to define the implications for people and wildlife that depend on it, and to catalyse solutions. Led by an international team of National Geographic Explorers and multidisciplinary scientists, Rolex is honoured to support this next series of the Perpetual Planet Expeditions.
THE ROLEX NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PERPETUAL PLANET EXPEDITIONS
In 2019, Rolex and National Geographic Society committed to exploring the planet’s most vulnerable environments through the Perpetual Planet Expeditions. The partnership harnesses world-renowned scientific expertise and cutting-edge technology to reveal new insights about the impacts of climate change on the systems that are vital to life on Earth: mountains as the world’s water towers, rainforests as the planet’s lungs, and the oceans as its cooling system.
The first expedition supported by this partnership was to Mount Everest in 2019. The Everest expedition team, led by National Geographic and Tribhuvan University, set out to better understand the effects of climate change on the glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya that provide critical water resources to one billion people downstream. The team installed a network of five weather stations, including what was then the world’s highest, just short of the summit of Everest. Studies were conducted on the region’s biology, geology and glaciology, which led to the publication of a number of scientific papers.
The next expedition was in early 2021, when a National Geographic team of Explorers and scientists installed a weather station – the highest at the time in the Southern and Western Hemispheres – just below the summit of Tupungato Volcano in the Southern Andes. The installation of this weather station meant scientists gained a crucial window into atmospheric processes in the high Chilean Andes. One of the most vulnerable water towers in the world, these mountains provide fresh water to more than six million inhabitants in nearby Santiago.
In 2021, glaciologist Alison Criscitiello climbed Canada’s Mount Logan, the second-highest mountain in North America, with geologist Rebecca Haspel and installed a weather station. A year later, she returned with an expedition team and extracted an ice core at a record depth of 327 metres, which is estimated to contain thousands of years of climate change information.
In April 2022, Rolex and National Geographic launched a series of scientific studies over the following two years, spanning the entire Amazon River basin from the Andes to the Atlantic. Repeated and increased degradation such as deforestation, poaching, commercial agriculture, and climate change is decreasing the Amazon’s ability to adequately provide critical ecosystem services for the planet.
Led by National Geographic Explorers – a team of scientists, storytellers and local community members – an investigation into the basin showcased its intricate connectivity. Explorers honed in on the region’s hydrological cycle and the critical role that the river’s seasonal flooding has on access to fresh water and the survival of communities and wildlife.
Rolex is supporting its long-standing Perpetual Planet Initiative partner, the National Geographic Society, as it embarks on a crucial two-year ocean voyage of discovery.
From seashore to sea floor and from pole to pole, the Rolex and National Geographic Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions cover all five ocean basins on the planet, with teams of National Geographic Explorers, scientists, storytellers and local community members diving beneath the surface to showcase how critical the ocean is to life on Earth.
Making up almost three quarters of the Earth’s surface and accounting for a large proportion of its biodiversity, our seas are vast. Yet only eight per cent of the planet’s blue heart is currently protected. With ocean temperatures rising and entire ecosystems suffering as a result, it is more important now than ever to take action to protect our waters, and over 100 countries have agreed to protecting 30 per cent by 2030.
Uniting the expertise of National Geographic Explorers and coastal communities, the Rolex and National Geographic Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions will combine academic science and local ecological knowledge to help protect and restore the largest ecosystem on Earth – the ocean.
THE PROJECTS
The first project aims to improve understanding of the Arctic Ocean’s Sherman Basin, particularly its unique bio abundance and climate resilience. Working with the Gjoa Haven community, the team is using oceanography and traditional ecological knowledge to develop a plan for Arctic communities to sustain food security. The discoveries made during this expedition might inform the protection of other changing Arctic regions.
Teams also travelled to the depths of the Southern Ocean, shining a light on never before-studied ecosystems and revealing the impact of environmental change from the sea ice to the sea floor. The expedition was conducted in collaboration with the Schmidt Ocean Institute which provided National Geographic Explorers the opportunity to leverage the state-of-the art tools and capabilities of the 110-meter global ocean-class R/V Falkor (too) during its maiden voyage to the Southern Ocean. This comprehensive scientific examination of the Southern Ocean and their observations will deepen our understanding of this ecosystem while informing conservation efforts essential to maintaining planetary health.
In the Indian Ocean, the first-ever locally led deep ocean expedition in the Seychelles will see a National Geographic Explorer and local collaborator work with the local fishing community to help protect the area’s most biodiverse and productive fishing grounds. By deploying custom-built deep-sea camera systems to collect critical data from some of the Seychelles’ most abundant fisheries – the findings will guide fisheries’ management policy and increase capacity to preserve local ecosystems.
Meanwhile, in a bid to help inform the restoration of coral reefs in Rarotonga in the Pacific Ocean, explorers will develop innovative methods to boost corals’ tolerance to warming sea temperatures.
In the Atlantic Ocean, teams hope to collect some of the first oceanographic data on the vast waters spanning the Gambian coastline. With sea levels rising and saltwater intruding into the River Delta and destroying agricultural land, the coastal communities of Bintang Bolong in Gambia are suffering. Explorers will travel to the mouth of the Gambia River to study the mangroves and their role in supporting biodiversity and food security in the region, and providing protection against the impacts of sea level rise for coastal communities, including the capital city of Banjul.
Deep-sea Explorer Katy Croff Bell will collaborate with the Explorers and local communities on each Perpetual Planet Ocean Expedition to deploy one or both of her low-cost, easy-to-use deep-sea sensing and imaging platforms, the Maka Niu and the Deep Ocean Research and Imaging System (DORIS, currently in development) to expand access to exploration of the depths.
Despite its magnitude, our ocean is vulnerable. Warming sea temperatures, habitat loss, and lack of protection are having a significant impact on coastal communities and the wildlife and corals that call our ocean home.
These expeditions go to the heart of the commitment Rolex has made to a Perpetual Planet and to future generations, by supporting individuals and organizations in their efforts to preserve the natural world and the systems that sustain life. The insights gained from them should prove invaluable to informing decisions on how the world can best tackle the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges.
ABOUT THE PERPETUAL PLANET INITIATIVE
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing journeys marked by milestones and emotions that culminate in defining moments. Achievement is a path followed towards excellence.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers pushing the boundaries of human endeavour to help them achieve countless historic feats. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside explorers, scientists and entrepreneurs, supporting their work to build a better future for all life on earth.
The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative was launched in 2019 and now has a portfolio of more than 30 partners. It also includes the Rolex Awards, which has supported exceptional individuals spearheading innovative projects for nearly 50 years. The expanding portfolio of partnerships and supported individuals are active in three main focus areas: Oceans; Landscapes; and Science, Health, and Technology.
Rolex supports a wide range of projects in the field of Ocean conservation such as: Mission Blue and Rolex Testimonee Sylvia Earle, dedicated to safeguarding the seas, and contributing to a global movement aiming to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030; conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen who, across more than 45 expeditions, have documented over 765 species and captured over seven million images; and Coral Gardeners, who are working to transplant resilient corals to reefs and have replanted more than 100,000 coral cuttings in twelve different restoration sites across French Polynesia, Fiji, and Thailand.
The Landscapes roster includes: a strengthened partnership with the National Geographic Society on understanding climate change; Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, offspring organisations of Tompkins Conservation, which have inspired the protection of 5.6 million hectares of wild landscapes in South America; and Steve Boyes and the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions, exploring the continent’s major river basins.
Rolex and National Geographic launch the next series in the Rolex National Geographic Perpetual Planet Expeditions: The Ocean 5/5 Rolex also supports partners in Science, Health, and Technology such as: Andrew Bastawrous, who has screened over 10 million people worldwide for treatable eye conditions; Felix Brooks-church, who is helping to nourish 10 million people a day in Tanzania and Kenya by fortifying staple foods; and Miranda Wang, who is revolutionising plastic recycling.
In addition, Rolex also supports organisations and initiatives fostering the next generation of explorers, scientists and conservationists, such as The Explorers Club and the CERN & Society Foundation.