Minderoo and Citizens of the Sea join forces to empower citizens to collect vital DNA data to protect our oceans

01 May 2025 – A new collaboration between Minderoo Foundation and Citizens of the Sea was unveiled today at the launch event of the 2025 Pacific Rally in Opua, Aotearoa, New Zealand.

As dozens of seafarers prepare to set sail to the remote islands of the south-west Pacific, they will be gathering vital scientific data to help protect our oceans.

Sailors are equipped with the TorpeDNA, a torpedo-like device that can be towed behind their yachts and filters seawater in real time, capturing environmental DNA (eDNA) left behind by marine life. This cutting-edge tool enables citizen scientists to collect ocean data at scale and at a fraction of the cost of traditional research vessels.

“Seafarers cover immense distances and access remote regions in ways that traditional research vessels cannot,” Dr Xavier Pochon, Citizens of the Sea’s Science Lead said.

“By equipping this community with scientific tools, we are unlocking a powerful new data stream to support conservation efforts.

“Ocean health is interwoven into the DNA of every sailor. We are literally connecting the DNA in the ocean to their own passion. It’s a different, but powerful, way to connect people to nature.

“Minderoo Foundation’s support enables us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in ocean data collection. We are demonstrating that citizen-led science can generate high-quality ocean health data, much faster and at a fraction of the cost.”

The Citizens of the Sea initiative expands the scope of eDNA collection, allowing for higher resolution and more comprehensive marine biodiversity assessments as well as long-term monitoring of regions that are otherwise difficult to access. As the Pacific Rally covers the same stretch of ocean each year, researchers are able to collect a vital time-series that allows them to track how the region’s ocean ecosystems are changing.

Minderoo Foundation’s support will allow the yachts to be equipped with eDNA sampling technology, enabling the collection of more than 500 samples during the 2025 Pacific Rally. The support also ensures the laboratory processing, bioinformatics, and data visualisations needed to turn this data into valuable insights for marine conservation.

“The ability to harness technology is transforming conservation science in our oceans,” Prof Mike Bunce, Director of OceanOmics at Minderoo Foundation, said.

“This collaboration with Citizens of the Sea and Minderoo’s recent partnership with IUCN to incorporate eDNA into the Red List framework (of threated species) are critical steps towards developing effective surveillance, robust ocean conservation, and ultimately a Nature Positive future.

“Minderoo is committed to supporting good science and innovative solutions that drive meaningful outcomes – Citizens of the Sea is both of these.”

Citizens of the Sea is a not-for-profit charitable trust formed through a partnership between Cawthron Institute and New Zealand Geographic, aimed at empowering citizen scientists to collect oceanic samples as they traverse our vast ocean, separating data collection from scientific analysis. The result is a scalable and cost-effective approach for long-term monitoring of marine biodiversity.

The impact of this approach was first demonstrated during the initiative’s launch at the 2024 Pacific Rally, where 26 participating vessels collected over 800 eDNA samples, along with environmental data, across 1.5 million km² of ocean, generating one billion DNA sequences.

The collaboration with Minderoo Foundation will further amplify this impact reach, equipping additional vessels, mobilising seafarers, and supporting the eDNA analysis of the next wave of samples. Minderoo’s support will also aid the initiative to expand its reach in future seasons, with plans to extend its efforts to Australian waters and beyond.

Findings from this collaboration will be showcased at the One Ocean Science Congress and UN Ocean Conference, to be held in Nice, France, from 9-13 June 2025, reinforcing the role of eDNA data in shaping scalable and community-empowered marine conservation efforts on a global scale.