Navigate with Care: Protect Our Oceans, a global campaign developed jointly by the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF), comes to a close after a successful launch phase. 

The campaign established a clear and practical link between maritime safety and environmental stewardship, demonstrating that responsible navigation practices are essential both for protecting lives at sea and for safeguarding vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Catherine Mulvihill, CEO of IFAN, highlighted the initiative:

“Navigate with Care reflects the direction maritime safety must take. Through our partnership with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, contributing to the goals of the UN Ocean Decade, we have shown that improving safety at sea and protecting the marine environment are closely connected objectives. This initiative strengthens IFAN’s role in bringing these agendas together in a practical and scalable way.”

A strategic campaign with measurable results

The global awareness campaign was endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), the Ocean Decade, and hosted a dedicated campaign platform and public pledge mechanism to engage the maritime community.

This was complemented by the production of a flagship campaign video and a suite of multimedia content designed to communicate key messages in an accessible way, alongside a four-part international webinar series that brought together experts from the maritime and conservation communities.

To reach boaters across the world, the campaign developed and distributed practical educational materials, including 3,000 printed campaign stickers and a print-ready factsheet and poster providing clear operational guidance for mariners. Together, these resources transformed core safety and environmental principles into simple, actionable steps that can be directly applied onboard vessels and across maritime operations, both small and large.

Global reach and engagement

The Navigate with Care campaign achieved international visibility through a combination of digital outreach and partner engagement, building awareness across maritime and ocean communities worldwide. This visibility has been reinforced by a strong emphasis on distribution, ensuring that campaign materials extend beyond communication channels into practical use. Through a global network of maritime authorities, research institutions, and conservation organizations, resources have been placed directly into operational environments where navigation decisions are made.

Physical materials have been strategically disseminated through IFAN partners and KSLOF networks, ensuring placement directly within operational environments such as ports, vessels, and training programmes. This includes distribution through organizations in Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Middle East, as well as through global initiatives engaging vessel operators and crews.

A notable example is the collaboration with The International SeaKeepers Society, which will integrate campaign materials into sustainability kits distributed to all new vessels participating in its DISCOVERY program, where private yachts are transformed into platforms for ocean research, extending the campaign’s practical application across active maritime operations.

As campaign materials are distributed globally through partners and placed directly into maritime environments, they are helping translate key messages into everyday actions on the water.

Liz Thompson, Chief Communications Officer at KSLOF, emphasized the campaign’s role in advancing ocean conservation through safe navigation:

“Many of the same navigation practices that keep vessels safe—like slowing down, following Aids to Navigation, and using updated nautical charts—also help protect marine life. By providing simple, practical tools, we’re helping mariners around the world play a direct role in ocean conservation.” 

Broadening the concept of maritime safety to include ocean protection

The Navigate with Care campaign reinforces IFAN’s role as a key connector between maritime safety and sustainable ocean management.

By promoting the use of Aids to Navigation, updated charts, and responsible routing practices, the initiative supports not only the reduction of navigational risks, but also the protection of sensitive habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and marine wildlife. 

This integrated approach contributes directly to the safeguarding of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs), ensuring that maritime operations actively support the preservation of ecologically and culturally significant marine environments while aligning with broader global objectives for ocean conservation.

Francesca Pradelli, IFAN’s Development Manager, described how Navigate With Care helped align IFAN’s maritime and conservation agendas with global goals:

“Responsible navigation plays a critical role in protecting Marine Protected Areas and Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas. By promoting best practices at sea, we can reduce risks to vessels while also safeguarding the ecosystems that underpin ocean health. This is an essential part of aligning maritime operations with global ocean sustainability goals.”

Plans for continued impact

Both IFAN and KSLOF remain committed to sustaining the campaign’s momentum beyond the close of its current phase. Ongoing efforts will include continued promotion through partner networks, supporting the Navigate with Care pledge, and exploring new approaches to target high-risk areas using vessel traffic and satellite data.

Find all Navigate With Care campaign resources

All Navigate with Care resources remain openly accessible to the global maritime community. They are tools designed to support safer navigation practices while contributing to the long-term protection of the ocean.

The public is invited to visit the campaign landing page to access print and onboard materials, explore multimedia resources, and watch the full webinar series on demand.