Sail & Explore Association

Sail & Explore Association is a non-profit association based in Ennenda, Switzerland working on environment & climate, nature & wildlife conservation, health +1 more.

Sail & Explore Association is a Swiss non-profit association that combines sailing, scientific research and education to study and reduce plastic pollution in the oceans and freshwater environments. It conducts globally coordinated scientific expeditions and field studies, with a focus on invisible micro- and nanoplastics, across regions including the Azores, the Aeolian Islands, Elba, the Whitsunday Islands, the Florida Keys, the Cyclades and high-altitude Swiss Alps sites. Its work includes long-term microplastic monitoring, the development of micro- and nanoplastic reference materials with the University of Bern, and laboratory studies on the effects of nanoplastics on human intestinal and immune cells. The association runs workshops and expedition programmes that let students and volunteers take part in sampling and learn about marine science, and it offers scholarships for students of aquatic research or plastic pollution. Its data is shared with NOAA's Marine Microplastics database, and its findings are published in peer-reviewed journals to inform policymakers and raise public awareness.