A team of dedicated environmental professionals passionate about the ecology and biodiversity of our oceans, is gearing up to take part in this year's GB Row Challenge.
Departing from Tower Bridge, London, on 9 June 2024, the all-female crew will row 2,000 miles around the British coastline, aiming to raise awareness about ocean health and collect data for environmental research.
The GB Row Challenge is considered the world's toughest rowing race as teams have to row continuously and unassisted around the challenging waters of the British Isles.
But their mission goes beyond the gruelling physical challenge; they're aiming to gather critical data on the state of our oceans and share the stories of restoration initiatives taking place right around the coastline.
If successful, their team 'Sea Change' will be the third all-female crew to have ever completed this challenge.
Post training smiles L-R: Aoife Luscombe, Laura Fantuzzi, Lorena Nichols, Kat Bruce, Chrissy Durkin and Jess Mc Iver
The team's skipper, Dr Kat Bruce, is founder of NatureMetrics, a UK-based nature technology company that specialises in the use of environmental DNA to measure and monitor biodiversity. Kat is a keen rower and took part in GB Row Challenge 2022 in the only crew to complete the challenge that year.
She said: "It's an immense privilege to be taking on this challenge for the second time - to have another chance to experience this incredible coastline and all its natural wealth. It's an even greater privilege to be sharing it with such a phenomenal team of women. We each bring different perspectives on tackling environmental challenges, with our day jobs ranging from scientific research to environmental technology to helping businesses on their journey to net zero.
"Through our journey we aim to use our voices and professional experience to inspire individuals and businesses to take action for our oceans, and to shine a light on the many initiatives that are already showing how nature can be restored and allowed to flourish."
As they row, Sea Change will collect vital data on ocean health and pollution levels, which will be analysed by scientists at the University of Portsmouth. This data will contribute to ongoing research efforts aimed at understanding the impacts of human activity on marine ecosystems and informing strategies for conservation and sustainability.
Aoife Luscombe rowing during the team's training weekend
Professor Fay Couceiro, expert in biogeochemistry and environmental pollution at the University of Portsmouth and lead scientist for GB Row Challenge, said: "The health of our oceans is intrinsically linked to the health of our planet. We're very lucky to have teams like Sea Change willing to get out on the water and take on such an epic challenge, all the while combining it with sampling so we can better understand the impact of human activities on the environment. Ultimately this can lead to us all contributing to a cleaner, healthier planet."
The team is made up of a diverse group of environmental professionals united by their commitment to marine conservation. With backgrounds in ecology, marine biology, and environmental science, they bring a wealth of expertise to their ambitious undertaking.
GB Row Challenge founder, William de Laszlo, said: "I'm super excited to hear how this intrepid group of women explorers get on in this year's race and thank them for their commitment to collecting this important data, which is invaluable for us all to understand the impact we're having on our amazing oceans."
The team's charity partner is the Blue Marine Foundation, an organisation dedicated to restoring ocean health across the globe.
Click here to find out more about team Sea Change on the GB Row Challenge website.
