SUMMARY 01 / AN EXPEDITION ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN 02 / PROJECTED ROUTE 03 05 / NUMBERS 06 / BEN S KIT 07-08 / THE CONVOY 09 12 / SWIM FOR SCIENCE 13 / FOLLOW THE SWIM 14 / THE TEAM 15-18 / PHOTO GALLERY 19 / PARTNERS AND SPONSORS 20 / CONTACT THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific
THE SWIM AN EXPEDITION ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN BEN LECOMTE IS TAKING ON THE PACIFIC IN A 5,000-MILE SWIM ACROSS THE OCEAN. THE LONG DISTANCE SWIMMER AND HIS CREW ARE PREPARING TO EMBARK ON THE SWIM: AN EXPEDITION FROM JAPAN TO SAN FRANCISCO TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT OUR OCEAN. Ben Lecomte likes to swim. He likes it so much in fact that he is about to start the first swim across the Pacific Ocean. Escorted by the sailing yacht Discoverer and his crew, Ben will swim 8h a day, every inch of the 5000 miles from Japan to San Francisco. The expedition is expected to last 6 to 8 months. This is not the first long distance swim Ben has undertaken, having completed the first swim across the Atlantic Ocean in 1998 in 73 days... Conscious of our increasingly precarious relationship with the environment, Ben Lecomte wants his passion to stand for something. In 1998 this was raising funds for cancer research. This time he swims for raising awareness of the state of our oceans, and promoting scientific inclusivity and environmental awareness to younger generations. institutions (Scripps, NASA, etc.), Ben and his crew will collect more than 1000 samples along the way to learn more about plastic pollution, mammal migrations, extreme endurance and even long term spaceflight. The Swim is an exciting opportunity to highlight the deep connection we all have with the ocean - and the importance to protect and cherish it. Fins crossed for a safe crossing! Dr. Sylvia Earle Founder of Mission Blue and Patron of The Swim More than just a swim, The Swim will also be the first citizen science expedition of its kind. In collaboration with 27 science THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/1
THE SWIM Projected Route FROM CHOSHI (JAPAN) TO SAN FRANCISCO (USA) Projected Route North Pacific Gyre - Plastic Accumulation Zone Kuroshio Current White Shark Migration Area Sources: NOAA, Standford University, WRI, MBL THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/2
THE SWIM Numbers 5K miles from Tokyo to San Francisco 8 hours of swimming per day 180+ days offshore THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/3
THE SWIM Numbers (cont d) 1K+ 1.44K miles through the Plastic Smog of the North Pacific Gyre hours swimming in the water 8K calories burned per day THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/4
THE SWIM Numbers (cont d) 1K+ scientific samples collected 27 scientific institutions involved 7years of preparations THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/5
THE SWIM Ben s Kit I m not an Olympic swimmer, I m an adventurer who likes to swim! Ben Lecomte 1 SWIM CAP 2 SNORKEL 3 GOGGLES 4 EKG WATERPROOF HOLTER MONITOR 5 WET SUIT 6 FINS 6 RAD BAND RADIOACTIVE CESIUM COLLECTOR THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/6
THE SWIM The Convoy THE CONVOY Ben won t be alone in the middle of the Pacific. Accompanying him on this trailblazing ride is the support sailing yacht Discoverer and her crew. On land, a team of specialists will monitor the weather, track Ben s physical condition, and provide medical and logistical support. After a day of swimming, Ben will come onboard Discoverer. There he ll eat, rest and spend time with the crew. They will mark his GPS location when he breaks for the day, and bring him to that exact spot to dive back in the next morning. 2 1 3 THE GUIDING DINGHY Operated by 2 crew members, the guiding dinghy will keep Ben on the right track, and assist him in case of emergency. It will carry all the food supplies needed for the day, and a communication device to interact with the followers during his effort. 2- GPS TRACKER Followers will be able to track Ben s progress live online 3- SWIM STREAMER Ben has no sense of direction when he is in the water. Facing the bottom of the ocean, he will swim above a line parallel to the boat with markers to help him adjust his speed. 1- TORQEEDO ELECTRIC OUTBOARD ENGINE The batteries will be charged at night on Discoverer with the renewable energy system. THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/7
THE SWIM The Convoy (cont d) DISCOVERER THE ESCORT SAILING YACHT Onboard the 67 ft (20 m) steel hulled sailing yacht, the rest of the crew will stay close to the swimmer while performing scientific samples, recording and sharing the adventure online. 2 1 3 4 5 1- RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM A combination of wind and solar energy will allow Discoverer to be autonomous for the 6 to 8-month crossing. 2- SATELLITE ANTENNA Ben and the crew will stay connected all along their adventure, and interact with their followers online. 3-24/7 CAMERAS On and below deck, a set of camera will record every bit of life on board. 4- SEA DROGUES During the day, a line of custom made sea drogues will slow the boat to follow Ben s pace. At night, a sea anchor will help the crew maintain position. 5- SCIENCE SAMPLING EQUIPMENT The crew will perform more than 1000 samples during the crossing, using a net to collect plastic, a set of water sensors, a hydrophone, and others... THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/8
SWIM FOR SCIENCE The Swim is a unique opportunity to better share our scientific results and our message to the public, but also to collect very valuable samples for our research. Dr. ERIK ZETTLER, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research The Swim will also be The Slowest Crossing due to Ben s pace, the expedition is a unique opportunity for scientists to collect a very high definition dataset, from one end of the ocean to the other. This makes The Swim the most precise and intricate survey of the Pacific Ocean to date. Ben will also be the focus of many scientific protocols. The scope and extreme conditions of the project guarantees that his body will be pushed to the limits, an exciting test case for many researchers in the biomedical field. A team of researchers from 27 science institutions will collaborate with Ben and his crew to collect more than 1000 samples throughout the journey, for 14 research programs. From plastic pollution to space exploration, this adventure will be a unique opportunity to collect data and learn more about the oceans and human body in extreme conditions. THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/9
THE SWIM Swim for Science BEN AND THE OCEAN Like a fish in the water Where the crew is committed to getting Ben across the ocean, Ben is committed to having his journey mean something tangible and inspirational. Hours after hours, months after months, Ben will follow the rythm of the currents and the waves, and be closer to the Ocean than ever. As his body will be pushed to the limits, The Swim is an exciting test case for several biomedical studies. By monitoring Ben s heart activity, thermoregulation, microbiome and more, researchers will learn more about the effect of prolonged strenuous activity and low gravity environment on the human body. Due to his slow pace, the crew will gather a set of high definition water data that will allow researchers to assess the current state of the Pacific, and better understand how human activity are affecting the present and the future of our blue planet. PERFORMANCES NUTRITION HEART ACTIVITY MICROBIOME LOW GRAVITY EFFECT BODY TEMPERATURE PSYCHOLOGY RADIOACTIVITY WATER TEMPERATURE SALINITY TOXICITY ACIDITY CONDUCTIVITY THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/10
THE SWIM Swim for Science THE PLASTIC ODYSSEY From your trash to your plate? MARINE DEBRIS TRACKING MICROPLASTIC & MICROFIBER COLLECTION STUDYING THE IMPACT ON THE FOOD CHAIN Daily watches will be dedicated to marine debris during the 6 to 8-month expedition. Equipped with floating trackers, the crew will tag the biggest pieces of trash they see. From land, researchers will study the trajectory of the debris to learn more about how the Plastic Accumulation Zone is forming. When enough tagged pieces gather in a specific area, teams from project Kaisei and the Ocean Voyages Institute will be able to collect them. Big marine debris are only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, most of the plastic pollution is not visible from the surface: due to sunlight UV and sea water, the debris break down to micro pieces. This microplastic and microfiber, are accumulated by the currents and form a Plastic Smog. Using a Neuston net and a filtration protocol, The Swim crew will colllect and store samples to create the most extensive plastic Trans-Pacific dataset to date. These plastics and fibers in varying phases of decomposition hurt the Pacific Ocean in many ways. What type of plastic is lying under the surface? Where does it come from? What spieces of microbes are living on it? How does plastic pollution get reintegrated back into our food and water? The microb and fish samples collected by the crew will help researchers find some elements of responses to these questions, and the many others to come... 8 MILLIONS metric TONS of PLASTIC are estimated to enter the oceans from land EACH YEAR. Ben and his crew will cross the Plastic Accumulation Zone in the North Pacific Gyre. Last studies found up to 1 MILLION MICROPLASTIC pieces PER KM 2 in this area. Sources: UNEP, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/11
THE SWIM Swim for Science A LIVING OCEAN The Great Pacific Soundscape BIRD WATCHING By dropping a hydrophone into the ocean every night of the voyage, the crew will record the first sound postcard of the Pacific Ocean. The researchers and curious individuals will be able to hear the voices of dolphins, orcas, whales and other neighbors who travel near the course of Discoverer. In addition to capturing this acoustic landscape, the crew will collect data on giant phytoplankton photosynthesis to learn more about how climate change is impacting the bottom of the food chain. Above the waterline, they will keep an eye up to contribute to the Atlas of Seabirds at Sea. GIANT PHYOPLANKTON SAMPLING ULTRASOUND RECORDING THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/12
Seeker and Nomadica Films will produce several formats during the swim: a mid-form video series on Discovery GO, short-form social videos, weekly Instagram Stories, weekly TV swim updates on Discovery, and a featurelength documentary in 2019. About Seeker: Seeker is the #1 most engaging science brand on social media in the U.S. [Source: Tubular]. Our stories explain the world through the lens of science. Seeker aims to satisfy curiosity, make science relatable and inspire young audiences. We encourage our viewers to question, dream and create. In December 2016, Seeker joined forces with Thrillist, The Dodo and NowThis to form Group Nine Media, one of the world s largest digital-first media companies. About Discovery Channel: Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, highend production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information please visit www.discovery.com About Nomadica Films: Nomadica Films is a full-service entertainment production company run by partners Jared McGilliard, David Clawson and John Collin JR. Before starting Nomadica in 2016, the team was the creative force behind several highly rated and critical acclaimed hits on Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and National Geographic, among others. Nomadica specializes in projects that take place at the ends of the earth, in some of the planet s most remote and dangerous environments. They create intensely intimate human stories with a rich, cinematic and original visual style. THE SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/13
THE SWIM The Team THE TEAM THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/14
THE SWIM PHOTO GALLERY THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/15
THE SWIM Gallery (cont d)
THE SWIM Gallery (cont d)
THE SWIM Gallery (cont d)
PARTNERS & SPONSORS SPONSORS NGOs THE CLIMATE GROUP SUPPLIERS STRATEGIC PARTNERS THE LONGEST SWIM An Expedition Across the Pacific P/19
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