Given the major challenges facing the ocean, the Neptune Endowment Fund shall support:
- international ocean exploration and observation expeditions identified as “Mission Neptune,” with the data collected to be shared with the scientific community;
- international scientific programs and initiatives—notably the Neptune Fellows and Neptune Chairs—designed to support a new generation of researchers;
- technologies, infrastructure, and international collaborations that promote knowledge sharing regarding the deep ocean;
- international forums, scientific and cultural outreach initiatives, and efforts to bring together science, public policymakers, economic stakeholders, and citizens.
“With Mission Neptune, launched at UNOC3, France is establishing itself as a global leader in ocean scientific cooperation. By creating this dedicated endowment fund, our country is providing a mechanism to bring together existing resources in a coordinated and innovative approach. While we know more about the Moon than we do about the ocean depths, this initiative allows us to unite our scientific forces—both national and international—and to make France a pillar of ocean protection, our common good,” said Catherine Chabaud, Minister for the Sea and Fisheries.
“Knowledge is the foundation of effective public action. By providing Mission Neptune with a sustainable funding mechanism, we are creating the conditions for international effort able to accelerate ocean exploration, share knowledge, and better inform decisions to preserve our oceans,” said François Houllier, President and CEO of Ifremer and Co-Chair of the Neptune Endowment Fund.
Mission Neptune combines exploration, observation, science, culture, economics, and governance to transform ocean knowledge into collective action. It is part of the operational deployment of OceanEye, within the framework of the European Pact for the Ocean, in partnership with the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), IOC-UNESCO, and the Digital Twin of the Ocean developed by Mercator Ocean International.
International Governance
Created by Ifremer to support the activities of Mission Neptune, the endowment fund is administered by a board of directors comprising the founding members. Its policies and decisions are based on the recommendations of an international scientific council of leading scientists. Their implementation is overseen by a general secretariat in charge of the operational deployment of Mission Neptune’s programs, partnerships, and initiatives.
A Momentum Already Underway
Since its launch, Mission Neptune has brought together an international consortium of scientific institutions, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and private partners around a shared goal: to accelerate our understanding of the ocean in order to inform public policy decisions.
“The creation of the endowment fund by Ifremer now provides a sustainable framework to support expeditions, scientific programs, young researchers, international and academic cooperation initiatives, and the dissemination of knowledge to the widest possible audience,” said Ashok Adicéam, Executive Director of Mission Neptune.
The Neptune Forum, held last June in Paris, marked the first major phase of this international initiative, which is entirely funded by private philanthropy.
“Given that less than 0.001% of our oceans have been explored, we call on governments and all stakeholders to commit to deep-sea exploration, which is essential for understanding and preserving life,” said James Cameron and Sylvia Earle, Filmmaker, Marine biologist, and patron of Mission Neptune.
