In December 2021, Yamamay collaborated, as a main sponsor, with OOF (One Ocean Foundation), as a scientific partner, and with CVC (Centro Velico Caprera), promoter and organiser of the M.A.R.E. (Marine Adventure for Research and Education) project, on the initiative that includes 12 weeks of sailing in the Tyrrhenian Sea. In this regard, the Foundation has developed a research project aimed at monitoring the state of health of the Mediterranean Sea to promote the knowledge and protection of the marine environment, one of the main challenges of the contemporary world. The Foundation will coordinate different activities with two main objectives: the monitoring of pollution from chemicals and the monitoring of marine biodiversity.

The journey involves the collection of samples of zooplanktonic organisms – natural bioindicators of environmental pollution – to monitor the presence and distribution of several marine contaminants in the Tyrrhenian Sea. These include trace contaminants, such as arsenic, cadmium and mercury, which are considered extremely dangerous environmental pollutants due to their toxicity and ability to accumulate in aquatic organisms. In addition, the project will also assess the presence of persistent organic contaminants, such as DDT and PCBs, compounds of anthropogenic origin still present in the environment although most countries have banned their use since the 1970s. Finally, the Foundation will assess the presence and distribution of emerging contaminants, such as perfluorinated compounds. These have been widely used for their hydrophobic and oleophobic properties in consumer products including disposable food packaging, pots, outdoor/garden tools, furniture and carpets, whose presence and accumulation is still little known in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

In addition, the One Ocean Foundation has as its second objective that of monitoring marine biodiversity, with particular attention to species considered cryptic, in other words that component of biodiversity that often remains unexplored, as it is composed of species that are difficult to identify using traditional methods. In this regard, the Foundation will coordinate environmental DNA sampling, namely traces of DNA left by marine organisms, along the entire route of samples, making it possible to reconstruct the biodiversity of the areas visited. 

In addition to scientific research and monitoring of marine environments, the Foundation aims to disseminate knowledge and awareness on important environmental issues, promoting correct behaviour, essential for pursuing the conservation of the marine environment. In this regard, a team of biologists, oceanographers and chemists will be on board to sample, study and help spread the culture of protecting the marine environment. The plankton and marine DNA samples taken during the twelve weeks of the M.A.R.E. Mission will be analysed by the University of Insubria between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.

For Yamamay, the first objective concerns the dissemination of scientific content related to the current conditions of the biological balance of the Tyrrhenian Sea, bringing these topics closer and closer to the centre of today’s public and political debate. 

The second objective, instead, concerns the disclosure of the contents of Yamamay’s products, so that our stakeholders and customers can be informed in a direct and transparent manner about their sustainability characteristics, in such a way as to increase awareness of how decisive it is to take into consideration the values of the brand and the protection of the planet and its inhabitants when making a purchase.

We strongly believe that the messages will be amplified, becoming increasingly more cohesive in the fight against the current climate emergency and in the desire to develop a solid green and circular economy.

The history of geographical and scientific discoveries teaches us that there has always been a close link between Western Europe’s and Italy’s economy with the Sea. The expansion of markets over the centuries has prompted us to carry out technical improvements in seafaring that would make travel on the high seas possible for multiple purposes.

Today, centuries after the acceleration of trade made possible by the Great Geographical Discoveries, we are in a historical moment in which, in order to grow sustainably, we must take care of the Sea, protecting it from years of intense and often reckless exploitation.

It is therefore starting from the close collaboration between the world of industry and commerce, with navigators and scientists, that we must start to reduce the impact on the sea.
For this reason, Yamamay made the strategic decision to be part of the M.A.R.E expedition in the Tyrrhenian Sea, aboard the catamaran One.