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Across the globe, there are marine places so vital to the ocean’s health that scientists, communities, and conservationists have identified them as “Hope Spots.” These are zones of high biodiversity, ecological significance, and cultural importance — places that give us reason to act. Expedition Audacity, in partnership with Mission Blue and Dr. Sylvia Earle, is conducting coordinated surveys to document these Hope Spots with cutting-edge science, storytelling, and community engagement.
Hope Spots are special places scientifically recognised for their critical role in the health of the ocean — whether through biodiversity, rare habitat, cultural value, or ecosystem function. They can be existing marine protected areas that need increased visibility or unprotected regions deserving greater recognition and stewardship. Hope Spots help focus global attention on where action matters most.
In collaboration with Mission Blue and Dr. Sylvia Earle, Expedition Audacity is conducting formal surveys of Hope Spots using a blend of environmental DNA (eDNA and eRNA), acoustic mapping, sonar imaging, and traditional ecological methods. These surveys capture invisible biological signals alongside physical habitat data — creating comprehensive environmental portraits that can inform science, policy, and community planning.
This work pairs rigorous field science with professional documentation and community partnerships, ensuring research outputs are both credible and accessible.
eDNA & eRNA collection:
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Genetic traces left by organisms that reveal biodiversity unseen by eye
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Underwater mapping of habitat structure
Environmental profiling:
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Environmental profiling:
Temperature, salinity, and chemical gradients
Community collaboration:
Side-scan sonar and acoustic echosounders:
Environmental profiling:
Shared priorities, knowledge exchange, and consent-based engagement
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Hope Spot surveys are not just about collecting data — they are about creating tools that support conservation outcomes, community understanding, and policy engagement. When layered with documentary storytelling and local voices, these data become narratives that:
- Highlight areas of urgent need
- Inform sustainable management and protection
- Amplify Indigenous-led stewardship
- Inspire broader public awareness and support
Because science only matters when it can be translated into shared action.
Hope Spot Surveys are a partnership — not a solo project. Working with Mission Blue, Dr. Sylvia Earle, local scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, and community partners, Expedition Audacity ensures all surveys are conducted ethically, collaboratively, and with shared benefit.
This means research priorities, methods, and outcomes are co-designed and co-owned wherever possible.
Together with Mission Blue and our partners, Expedition Audacity is charting pathways to a healthier, more resilient ocean — one Hope Spot at a time. When science, story, and community converge, science becomes shared action.