WHO ARE WE ?
At the Sustainable Seas Institute, our aim is to explore the ocean, seeking out new discoveries in the fields of biology, chemistry, oceanography and marine history while pushing the boundaries of education, outreach, and technological innovation. Our expeditions center on scientific exploration of the seafloor, collaborating with the broader research community to identify priority regions and phenomena, and sharing our expeditions with explorers around the world via live telepresence.
Our expeditions are conducted aboard the Research Vessel (R/V) Dawn, a research vessel equipped with water sampling, environmental monitoring, and underwater exploration equipment. During our expeditions, we offer scientists, educators, students, and the global public a remote exploration experience via live video, audio, and data feeds from the field, as well as ship-to-shore interactions direct to classrooms and science centers. We embed educators and students in R/V Dawn expeditions, giving them hands-on experience in ocean exploration and serving as STEM role models for the next generation. The Sustainable Seas Institute offers an immersive experience year-round for explorers to learn more about our expeditions, find educational resources, and marvel at new discoveries.
The Sustainable Seas Institute was established in 2025 to support ocean research. Our program is national and international, with funding support from federal agencies as well as the private and public sectors. We partner closely with government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector to advance the field of deep-sea exploration and to engage the public and next generation.
Through rigorous scientific inquiry, cutting-edge technology, and collaborative partnerships, we strive to generate knowledge that informs effective conservation policies, promotes responsible stewardship of marine resources, and inspires action to protect our oceans for future generations.
Sustainable Seas Institute Timeline
2026 Three week cruise visiting St. Martin, British Virgin Island, US Virgin Islands, Spanish Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic conducting field research programs.
2026 Dawn transit from Guadeloupe to Simpson Bay in St. Martin.
2026 Ten day cruise visiting St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, The Saintes, and Guadeloupe collecting water samples.
2025 Shakedown cruise visiting Martinique and St. Lucia to collect water samples.
2025 R/V Dawn undergoes major refit in Martinique to upgrade marine systems and research capabilities.
2025 SSI acquired the R/V Dawn.
2025 Sustainable Seas Institute (SSI) was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
About SSI
Exploring the depths, securing the future
The Sustainable Seas Institute is a nonprofit ocean research organization that studies PFAS and microplastic contamination in the world’s oceans, shares what it finds openly, and brings students, educators, and island communities into the work.
Who we are
Science at sea level
At the Sustainable Seas Institute, our aim is to explore the ocean and push the boundaries of education, outreach, and technological innovation. Our research focuses on the emerging contaminants that threaten ocean and human health: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, and microplastics.
Our expeditions are conducted aboard the Research Vessel (R/V) Dawn, a 39-foot sailing research vessel equipped for water sampling and environmental monitoring. Sailing lets us reach small harbors, remote anchorages, and near-shore waters where contamination from land meets the sea, with a minimal footprint of our own.
We embed educators and students in our work, connect classrooms to researchers in the field, and share our findings with the communities where we sample.
What we do
Our work
Field research
R/V Dawn and our science partners collect seawater samples across the Caribbean and beyond, building baseline data on PFAS and microplastic contamination from the Lesser Antilles to the Arctic and the Baltic.
Open data
Our results go into GOCOS, the Global Ocean Contamination Open-Source Ecosystem, a free platform where anyone can explore PFAS and microplastics data from the world’s oceans.
Education and outreach
We bring undergraduate researchers to sea and into modeling and data work, connect K-12 classrooms to live field science, and share findings with island communities in plain language.
Our mission
Through rigorous scientific inquiry, practical technology, and collaborative partnerships, we strive to generate knowledge that informs effective conservation policies, promotes responsible stewardship of marine resources, and inspires action to protect our oceans for future generations.
Who we work with
Leadership and partners
Dr. Roger B. Tipton
Founder and Board Chair
Dr. Tipton is a materials scientist and engineer at UNC Charlotte, where he directs the Performance Materials Laboratory. He leads SSI’s research program and serves as Chief Scientist on R/V Dawn expeditions.
Science partners
- UNC Charlotte, Performance Materials Laboratory: sample analysis and student research
- Science in the Wild: Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj Pena, partner expeditions in the Arctic and the Baltic
- University of Rhode Island: collaboration with Dr. Rainer Lohmann on PFAS research
Our story
Sustainable Seas Institute timeline
2026
December
R/V Dawn science cruise from the British Virgin Islands to the Dominican Republic, December 16 to December 30, sampling at islands along the way.
2026
November
Partner expedition: Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj Pena samples the Baltic Sea for microplastics aboard Le Commandant Charcot, November 14 to December 3.
2026
July
R/V Dawn is hauled out in Virgin Gorda for hurricane season maintenance and upgrades, including a new mainsail.
2026
June
R/V Dawn sails from St. Martin across the Anegada Passage to the British Virgin Islands, collecting water samples along the way.
2026
May
SSI launches GOCOS, its open-source platform for global ocean contamination data.
2026
March
R/V Dawn transits from Guadeloupe to Simpson Bay, St. Martin.
2026
January
Ten-day cruise visiting St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes, and Guadeloupe, collecting water samples.
2025
September
Arctic PFAS expedition led by Dr. Tipton, with a live classroom connection to Hough High School in North Carolina.
2025
June
Shakedown cruise visiting Martinique and St. Lucia to collect water samples.
2025
May
R/V Dawn undergoes a major refit in Martinique to upgrade marine systems and research capabilities.
2025
Founding
SSI is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with tax-exempt status effective April 14, 2025, and acquires R/V Dawn.
Get involved
Partner with us on research, bring our science to your classroom, or support the next expedition. SSI is a 501(c)(3) private foundation based in Huntersville, North Carolina (EIN 33-4547966).