HX Foundation awards over €222k in second standalone grant cycle to support ocean conservation and polar community-focused projects worldwide

London, July 9th 2025 – The HX Foundation, the dedicated charity of expedition brand HX Expeditions, is proud to announce it has awarded over €222,754 to global community, conservation and polar-focused wildlife projects, in its first round of grant funding for 2025.

Of the 222k total funding, €63,154 has been awarded to seven different single-year impactful projects which were selected by the charity’s board from over 20 different entries submitted. The seven initiatives were chosen for their strong alignment with the Foundation’s mission to advance science and conservation or to support community wellbeing in ocean and polar regions where the HX brand sails and explores.

The grants reflect HX Foundation’s continued commitment to enabling positive and tangible impact across research, education, conservation, and community outreach.

“This second round of standalone grants continues our dedication to fostering practical scientific solutions and cross-sector partnerships in polar and oceanic regions,” said Henrik A Lund Managing Director of the HX Foundation. “We’re proud to support both new applicants and returning partners, as they carry out meaningful work on the ground, in communities, and at sea. Having seen some countries scaling back funding for climate and science initiatives recently, this makes us even more determined that the money we raise is more critical than ever before!”

The funded projects span disciplines from underwater wildlife monitoring, sustainable trail maintenance through to supporting science communication and public health in wildlife rehabilitation.

The seven 2025 grant recipients are:

• Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
  Acoustic Behaviour of Franciscana Dolphins Around Gillnets: Assessing the Impact of Mitigation Measures. This project investigates the interactions between gillnets and heavily endangered Franciscana dolphins to evaluate the effectiveness of acoustic deterrents.
• Helmholtz Innovation Platform SOOP - Shaping an Ocean of Possibilities (Germany)
  Science and Outreach Support on HX Vessels 2025. The continued collaboration with HX vessels to facilitate scientific data collection and onboard outreach activities for the coming 25/26 season.
• The SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary (Iceland)
  Building a brand-new Avian Flu Sterile Testing Area.
  Establishing a sterile environment to ensure health and safety during the treatment and rehabilitation of seabirds affected by avian flu including both local Puffins, baby ‘Pufflings’, Guillemots and other local birds.
• Sitka Trail Works (USA)
  Sustaining Local Capacity for Trail Maintenance in the Tongass National Forest.
  Supporting local teams in maintaining critical hiking infrastructure and trail accessibility in one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests.
• National University of Córdoba (Argentina)
  Exploring the Unseen: Scientifically Rigorous and Tourist-Engaging Underwater Monitoring of the West Antarctic Peninsula.
  A novel underwater monitoring programme that engages tourists in citizen science while collecting valuable environmental data.
• Arctic Storm AS / Maria Philippa Rossi (Norway)
  Arctic Mysteries: Warm Ice and Cold Fact – Science in Svalbard.
  A science communication initiative focused on demystifying Arctic science for wider audiences in particular families/children. HX Foundation will also explore opportunities to distribute the book onboard their HX ships.
• Oxford Brookes University – Penguin Watch (UK)
  Exploring the Data Gaps in the Falklands/Malvinas and South Georgia.
  Supporting research that helps fill critical knowledge gaps in penguin populations in remote South Atlantic regions.

As well as the seven new grant recipients, the HX Foundation has also confirmed that they will continue to support funding of several multiyear projects. Over €107,500 will be awarded in 2025 as well as over €52,500 already committed for 2026. All grants covered by these commitments align with key geographies relevant to HX operations, and several involve longstanding strategic partners of HX including:

• The Association of Greenlandic Children – a long-term partner of the Foundation which supports children in need of care across the whole of Greenland.
• University of California – Measuring the impacts of climate change of Humpback whales, with particular focus in Antarctica.
• The Norwegian Rescue Dogs Svalbard (NRS) - a volunteer organisation that plays a vital role in search and rescue (SAR) operations in Svalbard, Norway. Established following the devasting 2015 Longyearbyen avalanche, NRS is now an integral part of the region’s emergency preparedness which supports both residents and tourists.
• RSPB – Saving Orkney’s Native Wildlife projectin Scotland, created to support the rare birds and their nesting areas in Orkney.

Award recipients said of the grants they received:

German

The team at the Helmholtz Innovation Platform SOOP in Germany said of their award win: “The HX Foundation facilitates the sampling of microplastic particles in exceedingly remote locations, adhering to the highest scientific standards. This makes an invaluable contribution to the global understanding of the occurrence and distribution of microplastics. We are immensely grateful for their dedication” said Dr. Lars Hildebrandt.

Fellow colleague Dr. Laura Köhler concluded: "The support of the HX Foundation enables us to collect atmospheric data in very remote regions and to monitor aerosol concentrations from natural and anthropogenic sources. Discussing the observations with the guests helps rising awareness for the impact of human activities on the air composition and thus the climate."

UK

UK charity the SEA LIFE TRUST – which runs the Cornish Seal Sanctury in Gweek, and the world’s first Beluga Sanctuary in Iceland said: "We are incredibly grateful to the HX Foundation for once again choosing to support the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale and Puffin Sanctuary in Iceland. We aim to provide the very best of standards for the animals and birds in our care. By funding the renovation of our puffin hospital and Avian Flu sterile testing area, we can say in confidence that the many puffins brought to our sanctuary each year will be treated in a safe and comfortable environment. We are truly appreciative of the HX Foundation’s continued commitment to protecting Vestmannaeyjar’s population of Atlantic puffins, and we’re looking forward to getting started with the renovation work!" Kim Cupples, General Manager, Beluga Whale and Puffin Sanctuary, Iceland.

USA

Ben Hugely from the Sitka Trail in the Tongass National Forest in British Columbia, USA said: "We are incredibly grateful to the HX Foundation for their support in funding a local trail crew. This grant not only creates jobs within our community but also supports stewardship and continued access to the public lands that underpin Sitka's visitor economy."

For more information on the Foundation go to: https://www.travelhx.com/en-gb/stories/foundation/

Editors Notes

Additional quotes:

Manuel Novillo from the National University of Córdoba in Argentina said:

"I am really excited to receive HX Foundation support one more time to continue this long-term monitoring program of the West Antarctic Peninsula underwater world in order to understand how climate change impacts the species that live on the seafloor. Exploring the Unseen aims to show to the world the fascinating life that thrives in freezing but also threatened waters of the Southern Ocean to raise awareness of the urgent need of protection."

Maria Philippa Rossi, the author of the Arctic Mysteries book said:

“I'm thrilled and deeply grateful for the HX Foundation's support — the grant makes the translation possible and brings Arctic science to life for a global English-speaking audience. What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic, and translating Arctic Mysteries means more children can discover the stories unfolding in the polar regions and why they matter to us all.”

Dr Tom Hart -PhD, Senior Lecturer in Conservation and Ecology, School of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University

“We’re incredibly grateful to the HX Foundation for helping us bridge two crucial gaps in our monitoring programme. Their support is enabling us to invest in a larger, more advanced drone - one that will significantly enhance our ability to survey remote coastal and offshore islands, where flying seabird colonies thrive. This marks a vital step forward in protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable seabird populations.”