The Fondation Pacifique is a Switzerland-based non-profit organisation with the mission to play an innovative role in the conservation of the oceans. The foundation's projects are articulated around its flagship: the sailing boat "Fleur de Passion" which circumnavigates the world exploring its most important and threatened marine regions as identified by the WWF’s Global 200 project. To carry out its mission the foundation maintains a partnership network of leading organisations in the scientific, conservation, eco-tourism and media fields. The organisation acts as a supporting and strengthening element, not only assembling skills and know-how but also contributing its resources to the particular mission of each of its partners and communicating the underlying conservation issues to a wider public. Objectives Fondation Pacifique´s mission to play an innovative role in protecting the oceans is carried out by focussing on three main objectives: Scientific Research: Contributing to a better scientific understanding of the marine environment, in particular by providing scientists access to the organisation's expedition vessel "Fleur de Passion" Communication & Education: Raising public awareness and media attention on marine conservation issues making use of cutting-edge communication tools Participation: Giving members of the Foundation and further individuals the opportunity to become involved in projects as eco-volunteers History The history began in early 2000 with the creation of the Association Pacifique and the inauguration of the Association Antinea in 2005. Both organisation were based in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2002, the Association Pacifique bought "Fleur de Passion", an almost 60-year-old abandoned 32-meter sailing boat. This boat was used by its previous owner in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic in the framework of socio-educational, navigation, diving and scientific projects. Since 2001, the Association Pacifique worked assiduously to completely restore "Fleur de Passion", preparing it to sail once again soon. Meanwhile, the Association Antinea had as its objective to organise a global circumnavigation on board of a yacht which would serve as a platform for research and communication, in a quest to contribute to the protection of the marine environment. The sailing ship Antinea, a 17-meter sloop accomplished the first leg of the expedition, crossing the Atlantic from the Caribbean to Europe in 2005. The project quickly outgrew its humble beginnings with the realisation that the boat had become too small to fulfill Antinea's new ambitions. Realising that the objectives of the two organisations were complementary, the Associations Pacifique and Antinea decided, at the beginning of 2006, to