Corporations, foundations and individuals are increasingly playing a vital role in supporting ECOCEAN’s work. We are particularly grateful to the following Australian organizations who have committed time and resources to help us undertake research and education activities to further assist marine conservation initiatives.

Australian Partners

Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)

DEC has continued to acknowledge the benefit of ECOCEAN’s program for sustainable management purposes at Ningaloo Marine Park. In providing in-kind support via office facilities and resources at Exmouth, WA, DEC has been integral to the ECOCEAN’s work at Ningaloo  each whale shark ‘season’. In 2010, DEC made a significant donation to ECOCEAN to establish a collaborative whale shark photo-identification monitoring project at Ningaloo Marine Park.www.dec.wa.gov.au/

Department of Fisheries, Western Australia

The Department of Fisheries, WA (Exmouth) provided support for ECOCEAN’s 2010 tracking work at Ningaloo Marine Park. www.fish.wa.gov.au

Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Provided funding for whale shark educational materials for distribution throughout Australia.www.environment.gov.au

Earthwatch Institute

Earthwatch Institute supported ECOCEAN’s field research by offering volunteers the opportunity to join the ‘Whale Sharks of Ningaloo Reef Expedition’. Earthwatch Institute provided resources to support three years of field data. www.earthwatch.org

Longbreak Charters, Gun Marine

For two consecutive research seasons, Longbreak Charters provided a liveaboard charter vessel for ECOCEAN’s research at Ningaloo. In 2009, Gun Marine played a key role in the whale shark behavioural study at Ningaloo by providing ECOCEAN with a vessel for the duration of the project period. www.longbreak.com.au; www.gunmarine.com.au

MG Kailis

MG Kailis has provided sustainably harvested wild capture prawns for ECOCEAN volunteers working in the field at Exmouth and Coral Bay, Western Australia. www.kailis.com.au

Murdoch University

Ongoing support for whale shark research at Ningaloo Marine Park. www.murdoch.edu.au

Novotel Ningaloo Resort Exmouth

Novotel Ningaloo Resort has provided accommodation for ECOCEAN staff throughout the 2010 whale shark season at Ningaloo. www.novotelningaloo.com.au

Rolex Australia and Smales Jewellers

Rolex Australia and Smales Jewellers assisted with funding for the 2009 whale shark behavioural study at Ningaloo using high-tech tags (‘Daily Diaries’). www.rolex.com; www.smales.com.au

Skywest Airlines

To accommodate travel to ECOCEAN’s field site at Ningaloo Marine Park, Skywest Airlines donated several flights for ECOCEAN researchers in 2010. www.skywest.com.au

Tabata Australia

Tabata Australia have shown their support for ECOCEAN’s field research by donating diving equipment for ECOCEAN researchers. www.tabata.com.au

Thyne Reid Education Trust

Provided assistance for the development of the ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-ID Library. Thyne Reid has pledged their ongoing support for two Honours scholarships each year for students wishing to study whale sharks in partnership with Murdoch University.

Whale Shark Tour Operators, Ningaloo Marine Park

Whale Shark Ecotourism Industry Operators working out of Exmouth and Coral Bay have consistently provided ECOCEAN a place on their vessels to enable us to undertake our research and public awareness programs.

Coral Bay Adventures (www.coralbayadventures.com)
Exmouth Diving Centre (www.exmouthdiving.com.au)
Kings Ningaloo Reef Tours Exmouth (www.kingsningalooreeftours.com.au)
Ningaloo Blue (www.ningalooblue.com.au)
Ningaloo Experience (www.ningalooexperience.com)
Ningaloo Reef Dive  (www.ningalooreefdive.com)
Ningaloo Reef Dreaming (www.ningaloodreaming.com)
Ningaloo Whaleshark-n-Dive (www.ningaloowhalesharkndive.com.au)
Ocean Eco Adventures (www.oceanecoadventures.com.au)
Three Islands Whale Shark Dive (www.whalesharkdive.com)

Woodside Energy Pty Ltd

Provided educational material for international whale shark conservation efforts. www.woodside.com.au

 

International Partners

British Ecological Society

Assisted with the development of SPOT! – the perspective correction software used in the ECOCEAN Library. www.britishecologicalsociety.org

National Geographic Society

Supporter of ECOCEAN via provision of the ‘Crittercam’ for use in the 2010 research project and technical expertise. www.nationalgeographic.com

Georgia Aquarium

Provided assistance through its Marine Conservation Action Fund to initiate a whale shark population study in collaboration with Proyecto Domino in the Mexican Caribbean and Gulf.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (Ocean Fund)

Sponsored significant components of whale shark behavioural field studies at Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia in 2008-2010.

United Nations Environment Programme (Regional Seas)

Development of ‘Best Practice’ whale shark ecotourism guidelines for developing industries worldwide. www.unep.org/regionalseas/

 

Other Supporters

Barry and Paula Downing

Bill Breheny

Chris Hicks, Rough Copy Design assisted ECOCEAN with logo design and the layout of educational materials. www.roughcopy.com.au

Larry Burkett

Luc Longley

Grantham and Johnson Kitto

Olympus Cameras

PNY Technologies

Rolex Awards for Enterprise

 

A Special Thanks For Making These Events Possible…

"ECOCEAN's 2011 Fundraiser in Perth" <link to Fundraiser page>

Supporters of this Event include:

• AQWA
• Ben Elton
• Brian Eno
• Fremantle Dockers
• John Butler
• John Stevens and Peter Last
• Jurgen Freund
• King's Ningaloo Reef Tours
• Luc Longley
• Ningaloo Whaleshark n Dive
• Novotel Ningaloo Resort
• Ocean Eco Adventures
• Perth Wildcats
• Rolex (Australia)
• Rosendorff Jewellers
• Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef
• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
• Tabata Australia
• Three Island Marine Charters
• West Coast Eagles

And THANK YOU to the thousands of individuals who have contributed whale shark sighting information from 45 different countries
around the world to the
ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-Identification Library!