Pelagic Ocean Fund
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Est. 2008 · Marine Restoration
PELAGIC
OCEAN
Restoring the Living Sea — one reef, one current, one generation at a time.
Our Initiatives Donate
0 Tonnes Plastic Removed
0 Marine Protected Areas
0 Reef Zones Restored
0 Years of Impact
Our Principles

The Ocean is Not
a Waste Bin

Every Pelagic programme begins with the simple premise that healthy oceans are the foundation of all life on Earth. We exist to restore what has been lost and protect what remains.

01
Marine Science First
Every restoration effort is underpinned by marine biology, oceanography, and ecological modelling. We fund science, follow data, and publish all findings openly.
02
Coastal Community Driven
Fishing communities are ocean stewards. We partner with coastal peoples to design conservation solutions that protect both biodiversity and livelihoods.
03
Systems Thinking
Ocean health is connected to freshwater, atmosphere, and land. Pelagic addresses the full chain — from watershed runoff to deep-sea plastic — not single symptoms.
Marine Initiatives

Where We Work

Reef Restoration
Coral Garden Programme
Active coral propagation and reef seeding across 680 designated restoration zones.
Plastic Cleanup
Ocean Sweep Operations
Fleet-based and community-led extraction of marine plastic from high-impact ocean zones.
Protected Areas
Blue Sanctuary Network
47 marine protected areas established and actively monitored across three ocean basins.
Research
Deep Blue Monitoring Lab
Autonomous underwater vehicles and sensor arrays tracking ocean chemistry and biodiversity.
Ocean research vessel
Field Research

Beneath the
Surface

"The ocean is the origin of all life. Restoring it is not charity — it is civilisational necessity."

Pelagic's research fleet operates year-round across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, deploying autonomous monitoring systems and working alongside fishing communities to gather the data that drives our restoration decisions.

Our marine biologists, oceanographers, and data scientists collaborate with 28 partner universities worldwide, ensuring that every initiative is grounded in the best available science.

How We Restore
Restoration Methodology

Five Phases of
Ocean Recovery

01
Marine Health Assessment
Baseline surveys using autonomous underwater vehicles, satellite oceanography, and biodiversity sampling. Every programme begins with evidence, not assumption.
02
Pollution Source Intervention
Targeting primary pollution sources: coastal runoff, fishing vessel waste, and deep-water plastic accumulation zones. Solutions are implemented at source, not just symptom.
03
Active Ecosystem Restoration
Coral propagation, seagrass replanting, kelp forest seeding, and mangrove restoration programmes. Habitat creation that supports the full marine food web.
04
Marine Protected Area Designation
Working with governments and international bodies to establish legally binding protections for restored zones, including no-take fishing areas and buffer zones.
05
Long-Term Ecological Monitoring
Permanent sensor networks and annual biological surveys track recovery trajectories. Data is published in open-access scientific journals and shared with policy makers globally.
Milestones

Eighteen Years
in the Sea

2008
Fund Founded
Pelagic Ocean Fund established with a mandate to restore degraded marine ecosystems through science-led direct action.
2013
First Sanctuary
Designation of the Azaran Marine Sanctuary — our first legally protected area covering 240,000 km² of ocean.
2018
1,000 Tonnes Milestone
Cumulative plastic removal reached 1,000 tonnes, verified and independently audited.
2024
47 Protected Areas
Global Blue Sanctuary Network expanded to 47 marine protected areas across three ocean basins and 22 nations.
Recognition

The World is Watching

"Pelagic has demonstrated that ocean restoration at scale is not merely aspirational — it is achievable, measurable, and economically defensible."
— Nature Ocean Science, Peer Review 2025
"The most rigorous marine conservation fund in operation. Their data is impeccable, their results are real, and their commitment is absolute."
— International Marine Conservation Congress
"In a world of environmental greenwashing, Pelagic stands apart. Every claim is backed by peer-reviewed science and verifiable field data."
— Global Ocean Observer, Annual Review
Support the Sea
Fund Ocean
Restoration Today
Headquarters
Pelagic House, 8 Marine Quarter
Lisbon, 1200-100, Portugal
General Enquiries
info@pelagicfund.org
Donations & Partnerships
+351 21 324 7800
Research Collaborations
science@pelagicfund.org
Get in Touch