DWS supports Healthy Seas

Healthy Seas is much more than ocean clean-up

Founded in 2013, Healthy Seas is a global foundation dedicated to removing marine litter—especially ghost nets—to protect biodiversity and, with its partners, transform waste into new products like swimwear, socks, accessories, and carpets.
Active in Europe, the U.S., and Asia, the organization focuses on cleanups, prevention, and education. Since its founding, Healthy Seas has recovered over 1,228 tons of marine debris with the help of nearly 300 volunteers and 150 partners.

DWS × Healthy Seas: A Partnership for Ocean Health and Biodiversity

Since 2020, DWS has supported Healthy Seas in removing ghost fishing gear, advancing marine research, and expanding conservation work across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Our partnership enabled the MAKO diving vessel, large scale ghost net recovery missions, and Operation Deep Blue Legacy’s restoration of WWII shipwrecks.

In 2025, the collaboration delivered its most extensive impact: 25 project days, 3,596 participants, and a scientific mission removing a massive ghost net from a Mediterranean shipwreck followed by a biodiversity assessment across 15 dives.
Our projects reached classrooms across Germany and Italy through DWS supported education programs linking marine science, history, and ocean stewardship, led in part by trained DWS Ambassadors.

The partnership advances DWS’ climate and biodiversity priorities by combining cleanup operations, science, circular economy innovation, and youth education to strengthen ocean health.

Learn more about Operation Deep Blue Legacy and previous projects here:

Operation Deep Blue Legacy

Life on board

Come with us on an adventure for marine conservation and discover how Operation Deep Blue Legacy uncovers a historical Shipwreck.

Why Cleaning the Ghost nets?

Did you know shipwrecks act as artificial reefs? However, fishnets cover the wrecks like a thick carpet obstructing and causing structural collapse. Learn more on the importance of cleaning these here:

Team is back

The crew uncovered four large pieces of a ring net and 2-kilometer-long gill-net eager to share the history of these submerged sites. Watch more here:

Dive into the world of sea rescue

Diving into 2026:

In 2026, DWS and Healthy Seas will expand their joint conservation work across two critical regions.In APAC, we will carry out targeted beach clean‑ups in India and Hong Kong, alongside underwater clean‑ups in Southeast Asia.

In the Mediterranean, we will launch a focused high‑seas mission to remove a newly discovered ghost net from a WWII shipwreck and conduct ecological assessments to protect this key biodiversity hotspot.

Together, these initiatives reinforce our long‑term commitment to marine protection through hands‑on action, science, and community involvement.

Ghost Nets & Wrecks: A Scientific Dive into Marine Biodiversity

In 2025, DWS supports a new Healthy Seas research initiative to study the impact of ghost nets on marine life around a Mediterranean shipwreck.

By monitoring the site before and after ghost net removal, scientists will assess changes in biodiversity and habitat structure over time. The project will combine ecological research with storytelling to raise awareness of the hidden damage caused by ghost gear.

Operation Deep Blue Legacy: Honouring History, Protecting the Ocean

In 2024, DWS supported Healthy Seas in Operation Deep Blue Legacy—a groundbreaking mission to remove ghost nets from two WWII shipwrecks in the High Seas. The cleanup helped restore marine life and preserve these historical wrecks for future generations.

The mission was captured in a three-part documentary series, showcasing the intersection of maritime history and ocean conservation. In 2025, its impact continues through a dedicated educational program, bringing the story into schools to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.

MAKO Boat in Action

Thanks to the support of DWS, Healthy Seas acquired its first boat, MAKO, in 2021. Originally based in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, MAKO was used for salvage missions in the North Sea.

In 2024, the vessel was relocated to Greece to support a longer operational season. Since then, MAKO has played a key role in numerous cleanups and educational activities, serving as a mobile base for marine conservation across the area.

DWS supports scientific project in the Adriatic Sea

On the occasion of International Volunteer Day 2023, Healthy Seas, in collaboration with us and Ghost Diving Hong Kong, spearheaded a meaningful beach cleanup on a polluted island near Hong Kong. The event involved 65 enthusiastic students from the Australian International School. These young eco-warriors, guided by their teachers, not only gathered waste washed ashore but also took part in an educational initiative to raise awareness about marine litter. Simultaneously, divers from the local diving center plunged into the depths for an underwater cleanup, targeting marine litter beneath the surface.

Healthy Seas recovery missions

Healthy Seas’ recovery work spans multiple missions across challenging coastlines and offshore sites, each focused on removing ghost nets and abandoned gear that continue to damage marine ecosystems. These operations combine technical diving, precise recovery methods, and coordinated handling at the surface to extract heavy, tangled nets safely. The missions demonstrate the scale of underwater waste and the measurable impact of targeted retrieval. The example shown represents one of several missions completed in the past season.

Healthy Seas