Harwin Supports Environmental Research During GB Row Challenge
19 Jun 26
Harwin is supporting the GB Row Challenge - The World's Toughest Rowing Race by providing sponsorship and engineering expertise to help collect environmental data around the coast of Great Britain.
The challenge sees two crews attempt a non-stop, 2,000-mile circumnavigation of Great Britain by rowing boat. During the expedition, the teams will collect data on microplastic pollution, sea temperature, salinity, biodiversity and underwater noise pollution, contributing to ongoing marine research led by the University of Portsmouth.
The data gathered during the challenge will be analysed by researchers before being made publicly available through The Crown Estate's Marine Data Exchange, one of the world's largest collections of marine industry data.
The GB Row Challenge was established to combine one of the world's toughest ocean rowing events with a practical environmental purpose. As the crews row around the British coastline, they collect scientific measurements and samples from areas that are difficult to access through conventional monitoring programmes.
Monitoring equipment on-board must operate continuously in a demanding marine environment, exposed to saltwater, vibration, changing weather conditions and extended periods at sea.
Professor Fay Couceiro, lead scientist for the GB Row Challenge and Professor of Biogeochemistry and Environmental Pollution at the University of Portsmouth, said:
"The data collected during this expedition will provide a valuable window into the health of Britain's coastal waters and help us better understand the environmental pressures these ecosystems face."
- Professor Fay Couceiro
The programme is building a valuable long-term record of environmental conditions around Great Britain. Data collected during previous challenges has identified higher levels of microplastic pollution than recorded in comparable surveys and has contributed to ongoing research into changing coastal conditions.
This year's crews, Rowmads and Nautilus, will spend several weeks at sea, rowing in shifts around the clock as they navigate the British coastline. Alongside the physical challenge, they will collect environmental information that could support marine research and conservation efforts for years to come.
Jon Churchill, Chief Operations Officer at Harwin said:
The GB Row Challenge demonstrates how engineering and innovation can support important scientific research in challenging environments. We are proud to contribute to a project that combines human endeavour with the collection of valuable environmental data.
- Jon Churchill
Supporting the GB Row Challenge aligns with Harwin's commitment to sustainability by enabling the collection of long-term environmental data that helps scientists better understand the health of Britain's coastal waters.
