Dalio Philanthropies supports programs that inspire and educate the next generation of ocean explorers, problem solvers, and communicators and that advance knowledge of the ocean and its many creatures. We start with the premise that the ocean, which covers 72% of the planet and is essential for all life on earth, is our most important, but least understood asset. We believe in the importance of fostering an emotional connection with the Ocean in order to protect it. More than 80% of the world’s ocean remains unexplored: our grantmaking seeks to change that narrative.
First and foremost, we do this by supporting the groundbreaking exploration, research, and storytelling of our operating program OceanX.
Additionally, Dalio Philanthropies provide grants to leading research institutions and organizations that are aligned with the mission of OceanX and seek innovative solutions to unlock the mysteries of our ocean planet.
Some examples of our grantee partners include Ocean Alliance, which is using pioneering drone-based technology to tag whales; and Project CETI, a cross-disciplinary, multi-institution project working to decipher the voices of sperm whales with a team of specialists including marine biologists, AI computer engineers, data scientists, and linguists, among others.
Since 2011, Dalio Philanthropies has supported Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the premier ocean research and engineering organization in the United States. WHOI is home to cutting edge projects that advance our understanding of the ocean by leveraging the expertise of leading scientists across a variety of disciplines. One example of this approach is the Ocean Twilight Zone project which aims to illuminate our knowledge of marine life and ecology in the largely unexplored to “twilight zone,” a layer of deep ocean between 200 and 1,000 meters below the surface of the ocean.
As part of our commitment to ensure that a broad and diverse group of individuals has the opportunity to become ocean explorers and problem solvers, Dalio Philanthropies is proud to support organizations such as Black in Marine Science and the Center for Diverse Leadership in Science at UCLA. These organizations are doing critically important work to increase access to the ocean and cultivate ocean leaders from populations that have traditionally been excluded from this space. Additionally, our educational work includes OceanX’s Young Explorers program, an ocean science and media program for college students from diverse backgrounds on board the OceanXplorer.