Alnitak Research Institute

  Verified by Volunteer World
project-logo
rating

4.9

Outstanding


10

Reviews


34

Years in business

Alnitak Research Institute is a Spanish non-profit organisation that combines a passion for cultural maritime heritage with a strong will to preserve the Oceans.
Passion for cultural maritime heritage with a strong will to preserve the Oceans, that is our work ethic here at Alnitak.

We are a Spanish non-profit organisation founded by two young Greenpeace activist. We have sailed the Mediterranean since 1989 in our historical fishing vessel Toftevaag (now ...

Review Description

Passion for cultural maritime heritage with a strong will to preserve the Oceans, that is our work ethic here at Alnitak.

We are a Spanish non-profit organisation founded by two young Greenpeace activist. We have sailed the Mediterranean since 1989 in our historical fishing vessel Toftevaag (now retiring), at present we spend our time conducting different projects and citizen science expeditions.

Our scientific campaigns are specifically designed to directly contribute to strategies for the conservation of marine biodiversity and national and international sustainable management policies, integrated into relevant frameworks, especially the European Commission, the FAO, ACCOBAMS, UNEP WFP and the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of the US Government.

Our research expeditions are mainly run in protected areas. We are located in the small stunning village of Sóller located 35mins from Palma de Mallorca (Spain)  airport and 12mins drive from Sóller port. The area is a hidden paradise with friendly locals and amazing scenery

 We first began with EarthWatch and later in coordination with OceanCare,. In 2017, Alnitak joined LIBERA, an SEO/BirdLife project in collaboration with Ecoembes and since then he has been running the Marine Stewardship Initiative "Todos por la Mar''.

Our mission is to make the ocean a safer place for marine life as well as promote and encourage more sustainable ways of fishing amongst local fishermen and fisheries 

our volunteers have been as young as 14 and as old as 85! As long as you have a passion for the ocean, making a difference and being the change along with a  willingness to do hard-work and not afraid of getting you hards dirty Alnitak is a unique way to be a part of something important

In 2019, thanks to the Alnitak database, an alarming increase in marine debris originated from fishing activities, and more specifically "ghost FADs", rudimentary fishing artefacts that are extremely dangerous for marine fauna and creates safety risks at sea. Thanks to the support of the Queen Sofia Foundation, we have been able to develop our scientific program "Oceanographer Turtles" focused on the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), helping us to create management tools based on modelling the movements of turtles, marine debris and dangerous artefacts, integrated into the Oceanographic Observation System of the ICTS SOCIB and NOAA.

We subdivide our work into two large programmes: MEDTOP- Scientific projects using top pelagics as Umbrella Species for the conservation of the open sea ecosystem, and Todos Por La Mar- Engaging stakeholders and the general public in practical and tamgible conservation. Alnitak Partenrs with institutes such as the US fish and wildlife service, NOAA, The Balearic Island Costal Observing and forecasting system (SOCIB), Oceancare, Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), IFREMER, Exeter University and many more 

Results from the expeditions contribute directly to ongoing research and pioneering in conservation policies making us one of the very few NGOs where you can actually see the effect your volunteer work has on our oceans. 





Contact Person

Molly Grace

  Below average response rate

Alnitak Research Institute reviews

Romain Mari rating5.0

2023 at Marine Expedition Assistant

I joined Alnitak for the first for about 11 days. It was an incredible and very memorable experience. An awesome crew, a beautiful boat, we same across lots of marine wildlife and cleaned a lot of floating rubbish (nets, bags, fishing lines). Sleeping under the stars at night was absolutely magical. ..
Maria rating5.0

2023 at Marine Expedition Assistant

Volunteering for Alnitak was, by far, one of the best experiences I have ever had. It was such an incredible opportunity. Not only does your work have a real-world impact by helping scientists in ocean conservation, you also get to see some of the most spectacular species. On my expedition, I saw at ...
Julia rating5.0

2023 at Marine Expedition Assistant

Volunteering with Alnitak Research Institute was an incredible experience. The team's dedication to marine conservation is inspiring. The hands-on involvement in research projects, coupled with a supportive community, made the experience both educational and fulfilling. It's an experience that not ...
Lena Micheler rating5.0

2023 at Marine Expedition Assistant

It was such a great experience working together with this amazing organization. I learned a lot about marine conservation and marine wildlife. I met other great volunteers and was able to get to know the wonderful Alnitak team. I would do it again anytime and would recomment it to everyone who loves ...
Camille Francois rating4.8

2023 at Marine Expedition Assistant

Volunteering with Alnitak is a one-of-a-kind experience and living on a 100-year-old boat for several weeks was such a privilege. The people running Alnitak were very kind, welcoming and knowledgeable, and the volunteers are generally amazing people too. Each day, we woke up at dawn (or even ...
Luisa rating5.0

2022 at Marine Expedition Assistant

I spent a wonderful 10 days on board Toftevaag with about 10 other volunteers from all over Europe, as well as a biologist and a skipper from the organization. The crew soon felt like family and we learnt so much on the marine ecosystem, its problems as well as life on an old sailing vessel. Would ...

Alnitak Research Institute listings


Alnitak Research Institute locations


Alnitak Research Institute project focus


UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Life Below Water