Sailing for Science
The wind is in our favour, the sails are set, and the coastline is slowly disappearing over the horizon. For most sailors, this is when what they love so much about being on the water begins: freedom, tranquillity and the feeling of having escaped everyday life for a while. Yet it is precisely at moments like these that an ordinary sailing trip can turn into something much greater. More and more scientists are discovering that recreational sailors are valuable partners in the exploration of our oceans, because nobody is out on the water as regularly as sailors themselves.
Arved Fuchs shows why every observation matters
The German polar explorer Arved Fuchs has been one of the most renowned explorers of our time for decades. On his current expedition, Ocean Change 2026, he is once again sailing through the waters of Greenland and the Arctic to document changes that remain invisible to many people. On board, water temperatures, salinity, oxygen levels, CO₂ concentrations and microplastics are measured continuously. This data helps scientists to better understand climate change and its impact on the oceans. However, even a superbly equipped research vessel can only ever cover a small part of the world’s oceans.
Thousands of sailing yachts form a vast research network
This is where recreational sailors come into the picture. Every year, in Europe alone, tens of thousands of yachts are out on the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean or on long-distance voyages. If you add up all these nautical miles, the result is a network that no single research institute could build on its own. Modern yachts are already equipped with instruments that record water temperature, air pressure, wind and GPS data. Combined with simple observations, this creates a wealth of data that helps researchers identify changes over many years.
Sailing with your eyes open
No one needs to set up a laboratory on board to do this. Simply reporting sightings of porpoises, dolphins, unusual algal blooms or large accumulations of plastic waste provides valuable information. Some universities even provide simple sampling kits that allow sailors to take water samples for microplastic analysis. At the same time, marine conservation often begins with small decisions on board: using biodegradable cleaning products, avoiding unnecessary engine running time, consistently disposing of rubbish on land, and using environmentally friendly antifouling systems. Each of these steps helps to protect the waters we all love to sail on.
From a holiday cruise to contributing to research
There are now numerous opportunities for anyone wishing to get actively involved. The Secchi Disk Study collects data worldwide on water transparency and provides important information on plankton development. iNaturalist allows sightings of animals and plants to be documented, whilst regional projects analyse observations of porpoises, seals or seabirds. Thousands of individual reports thus paint an astonishingly accurate picture of how our seas are changing – a picture that would be virtually impossible without the support of dedicated water sports enthusiasts.
The future of marine research also lies in the harbours
The major challenges of our time cannot be solved by research vessels alone. Rather, it is the many small contributions that, taken together, make all the difference. Every sailor who is observant whilst out at sea, shares their observations or consciously acts in a sustainable manner becomes part of a global network dedicated to protecting the oceans. Perhaps your next sailing trip will therefore be remembered not only for a perfect day’s sailing or a stunning sunset, but also because, quite incidentally, you helped to better understand the oceans of tomorrow. After all, sometimes major research doesn’t begin on an ice-breaking expedition ship, but on board a perfectly ordinary sailing yacht.
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