The M.A.R.E. “Marine Adventure for Research & Education” project of the Centro Velico Caprera is back at sea for its 2026 scientific expedition, continuing its mission to monitor the health of the Mediterranean Sea. After completing a four-year mapping of the basin between 2022 and 2025, the project is now entering a new phase of long-term observation, returning to previously surveyed areas to track the evolution of marine ecosystems over time.
This year's expedition once again sets sail in the Tyrrhenian Sea, following a route from La Maddalena to Portofino and stopping at some of the Mediterranean's key monitoring sites across Sardinia, Sicily, and mainland Italy. On board the catamaran Caprera, researchers coordinated by One Ocean Foundation, the project's scientific partner, will collect data on marine biodiversity, microplastics, chemical pollution, underwater noise, cetacean presence, and oceanographic conditions linked to climate change.
The new research cycle further expands the scope of the project with ambitious objectives, introducing studies on microplastics throughout the marine food web and the monitoring of eutrophication phenomena. By revisiting the same sites year after year, M.A.R.E. aims to build an increasingly detailed understanding of how human activities are affecting one of the world's most vulnerable marine ecosystems.
This year's partners include Shiseido, Deutsche Bank Italia, Grassi, CMP, and Workness Club, whose support contributes to scientific research and monitoring activities across the Mediterranean.
As in previous editions, the expedition will bring together researchers, universities, and students from across Europe, transforming the catamaran Caprera into a travelling scientific platform dedicated to advancing knowledge and protection of the Mediterranean Sea.
