Core Values
These values describe how the Foundation works, how it communicates and the standards it holds itself to.
Values in practice
- Scientific curiosity
- We begin from questions rather than conclusions, and we accept that careful observation sometimes contradicts expectation.
- Environmental responsibility
- Our activities are planned so that they do not damage the habitats they study, and so that impact is minimised.
- Integrity
- We state what we know, what we do not know, and where our information comes from.
- Transparency
- Our identity, registration, contact details and governing principles are published and kept current.
- Education
- We treat education as the most durable form of environmental protection available to a small organisation.
- Knowledge sharing
- Information of public value should be accessible, in plain language and in more than one language.
- Sustainability
- We assess activity by its long-term effect, not by short-term visibility.
- Respect for marine ecosystems
- Marine habitats are treated as living systems with their own value, not only as resources.
- Community participation
- People who live beside the sea hold knowledge worth recording, and work is better when it includes them.
- Collaboration
- We prefer cooperation with others over duplication of effort, where aims and standards align.
- Accountability
- The Foundation answers for its decisions and its use of resources, and keeps proper records.
- Long-term thinking
- Marine change is slow and cumulative; our planning horizon reflects that rather than annual attention cycles.