THE DARWIN200
2020 Voyage
THE DARWIN200
2020 UK VOYAGE
In preparation for the upcoming, 2023-2025 DARWIN200 Global Voyage, over the summer of 2020, the DARWIN200 team voyaged around the UK on the tall ship Pelican of London, circumnavigating the British Isles over 7 weeks. In partnership with the University of Plymouth, Pelican of London was equipped as a floating laboratory to study a range of conservation and wildlife subjects.
The objective of the 2020 UK Voyage was to undertake the global voyage in miniature, testing our systems at sea and under real-life conditions. The research findings were beamed live from the ship over the course of the voyage and via online lectures.
2020 VOYAGE ROUTE
| START POINT: | SHARPNESS DOCKS |
| END POINT: | LONDON |
The 7-week 2020 UK Voyage involved a diverse group of sixty young scientists and trainee sailors (many from underprivileged backgrounds, invited to take part as part of an upskilling initiative).
The young scientists investigated levels of pollution in sea water around the UK’s coasts, quantities of plastic waste washing up on our shores, sources of sustainable energy (including wind power) around the British Isles, as well as undertaking surveys of whales, dolphins, large ‘macrofauna’ fish (sunfish, basking sharks and bluefin tuna) and seabirds.
The team of young scientists also made many interesting observations, including documenting several shoals of bluefin tuna (a species previously near-eradicated from UK waters, but now returning), and large aggregations of up to 30 sunfish (rare in UK waters).
IMAGE GALLERY
The DARWIN200 team were honoured to be joined by patrons and supporters Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Sylvia Earle and Dr. Sarah Darwin (direct descendent of naturalist Charles Darwin) for live-streamed talks that were broadcast to schools across the UK and worldwide!
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