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Our Purpose
Our Mission
to engage diverse communities in ocean conservation and climate action
through shared, immersive learning experiences.
Why?
We have less than 10 years to solve climate change.
We're running out of time, and we've got a lot of work to do.
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We need to work together to solve it.
Climate change is a global problem, requiring collaboration that transcends borders and continents. We need collective inspiration, and coordinated action.
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Our ocean is one of our greatest allies in that fight.
On top of regulating the weather, providing millions of tons of food, and enabling life on Earth, it's also been absorbing much of our extra CO2 and storing the bulk of our extra heat.
We need to keep the ocean healthy in order to survive climate change. We need to engage more communities in valuing and protecting the ocean, and finding climate change solutions.
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But connecting with the ocean is challenging.
Most of it is cold, dark, remote, and difficult to reach. It's expensive to visit, explore and study. We know less about the ocean floor than we do about the Moon. For many people, the ocean is simply out-of-sight, out-of mind. For others, institutional and socioeconomic barriers have put it impossibly out of reach.
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We need to change how people access and explore the ocean.
We need to disrupt old paradigms to create real change.
We need to make the ocean and conservation more accessible.
We need to engage more communities in creating and sharing solutions.
We need to bring the ocean to the people.
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Our WORK
We connect communities with the ocean.
We use emotionally resonant, immersive experiences to transport people beneath the waves.
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We connect communities with the science of climate change.
We work with researchers and conservationists to translate the science and tell the stories of climate change around the world.
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We connect communities with each other.
We create shared spaces where people can explore and learn, talk about priorities and values, and collaborate on solutions.
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We connect communities with solutions.
We tell stories of research, hope, and solutions to provide the path, the tools, and the motivation to act.
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We connect the global community to work toward collective change.
Introducing the OceanLab:
We're building the future of public ocean exploration.
OceanLab is a digital aquarium in a box. A portable, shared immersive space that simulates an underwater research lab. A global network of ocean exploration centers. A new way to bring the ocean to the people.
This mockup is one of several potential designs, and not necessarily representative of the final product
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Our Story
This project began as a virtual submarine on wheels named OLLIE.
OceanLab is the evolution of a mobile immersive experience called OLLIE, which traveled several thousand miles and brought the ocean to thousands of people in 2019.
The pandemic interrupted our plans, but we're using this opportunity to build upon the things we learned from that submarine.
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Read more of our story here.
News
You'll find the latest progress on our work on our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds, and deeper dives right here on our News page.
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Check out the latest deep dive here.
Our Team
Patrick Flanagan
Founder and CEO
Board of Directors
Courtney Leader
Strategic Energy Innovations
Jon Leland
Kickstarter
Advisory Board
Join Us
We’re putting together an amazing team, committed to creating a solution that not only disrupts the way that people connect with our ocean, but also redefines the way a progressive, multicultural, equitable organization looks and runs. If you're interested in joining us, whether as a volunteer or part of our crew, send us an email at info@oceanlab.org.
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Explore
Want to learn more about the changing ocean and climate?
We've gathered our favorite free interactive tools for exploring how the ocean and climate work, and for learning about 21st-century challenges and solutions. Check them out on our Tools page:
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Support our Work
OceanLab is built with your support.
Join our growing community dedicated to promoting ocean research and conservation. Share our mission and work with your friends, family, and colleagues. Help us bring the ocean to the people.
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OceanLab is currently in the process of filing as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. In the meantime, we are fiscally sponsored by Maritime Gloucester, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Gloucester, MA. Under our fiscal sponsorship agreement, donations are made to Maritime Gloucester (also known as Gloucester Maritime Heritage Center), who then redirects pre-approved funds to OceanLab, less a small administrative fee. All donations are fully tax-deductible.
Online
Donating online is easy, using your debit, credit, or PayPal account:​
