PWYL x Mareco
In 2021, we announced our first partnership with the express aim of protecting marine megafauna, with a special focus on the conservation of the Whale Shark.
Alongside Mareco, we will sponsor the work they do on projects around the world so that we can understand more about the biggest fish in the ocean and how we can protect them. Namely, supporting tagging and genetics efforts to directly help the management and recovery of this endangered species.
About mareco
Mareco was founded in 2020 by Gonzalo Araujo, a marine scientist and conservationist who has been working with marine megafauna research and conservation for 10 years. Gonzalo is originally from Argentina but moved to the UK when he turned 18, and onwards to the Philippines when he was 26 where he worked full-time until the onset of the SARS-CoV-19 pandemic. He is currently finishing his Ph.D. in shark ecology at the University of Portsmouth.
Vision: a world where Oceans and people thrive.
Mission: to facilitate marine conservation interventions through collaborative work.
How we do this: We work with research groups, nonprofits, communities, NGOs and governments to facilitate conservation. This includes conducting research, supporting decision-making and enabling conservation action. Our work is centred on charismatic marine species such as sharks and rays, that serve as umbrella species to the wider marine environment.
History: Marine Research and Conservation Foundation, or "Mareco", was born out of the covid-19 pandemic. The world was brought to its knees, and in the conservation sector it became apparent that some of the old ways of doing business did not work. Conventional operations did not work anymore, and it was highlighted that when in need, people come together to create positive change if they are allowed to. At mareco we envision an egalitarian world where people work together towards a common goal: thriving Oceans. We strive to bring people together from all walks of life. Only by effectively doing so can we succeed in what will be the biggest challenge of our age: saving planet Earth. Our expertise is centred on marine megafauna science and conservation. We believe umbrella species can successfully bring about positive change for ocean conservation and that’s why we work with species like whale sharks and manta rays.
Projects: current projects involve whale and blue sharks, turtles, and mobulid and eagle rays. These projects explore aspects of socio-cultural and economic values of these species, ecology and biology aspects necessary for successful management and recovery plans, and new tools and methods to advance the way we conduct research.