Eco-Friendly Catamaran Kicks Off World Waterway Protection Tour

Published January 13, 2015

A spider-like catamaran sailed into New York Harbor on Thursday to promote the well-being and protection of the world’s waterways, TechWeb reported.

The catamaran, Proteus, so named for the ancient sea god and guardian of all marine life, graced the waters surrounding Manhattan before it was to begin its One Ocean mission through America’s national marine sanctuaries to "build international alliances and strengthen ties between marine protected areas around the world."

Click here to read the story on TechWeb.

The mission intends to draw attention to man-made threats to marine protected areas such as habitat damage, pollution, threatened wildlife populations and recovering fish stocks and show these problems are the same around the globe.

"We are very excited about our One Ocean mission and the use of advanced technology embodied in the Proteus to enhance partnerships between the United States and Italy and raise awareness about the importance of our one ocean," said Dr. Isabella Conti, co-founder of Marine Advanced Research, which developed Proteus.

The vessel appropriately was named for the sea-god Proteus, who also could change shape to take on different forms. The catamaran seemingly skims waves and its design allows for rescue missions, research and ocean exploration. It is 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, stable, maneuverable and can cross oceans.

Eco-friendly features include low fuel consumption, low draft, minimal wake at high speed and soft hulls.

Proteus, the first full-size wave adaptive modular vessel, kicked off the One Ocean initiative by sailing through Italy’s Marine Protected Areas in June.

Over the next two years, the catamaran will travel to North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas and California.

Track Proteus’ path here.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/story/eco-friendly-catamaran-kicks-off-world-waterway-protection-tour