Partner with us

In the 1960s, Jacques Cousteau changed how the world saw coral reefs. With a camera and a sense of wonder, he made the unseen visible — turning coral into a global symbol of ocean beauty and fragility.

Today, kelp forests are just as extraordinary, forming the largest marine forests on Earth and stretching along 30% of the planet’s coastlines. Yet they remain largely unseen — disappearing even faster than coral reefs and tropical rainforests.

Great Ocean Forests is a global media project bringing these vast underwater ecosystems into view. Through film, photography, music, and immersive media, we’re helping people see what’s at stake — and what’s still possible.

This is a once-in-a-generation chance to do for kelp forests what Cousteau did for coral — and to be remembered for helping make it happen.

Where we are now

  • We’ve partnered with the Natural History Museum in London to create a landmark immersive exhibition opening in April 2027 — a nine-month run in their main Waterhouse Gallery (750 m²).

  • We are also developing a touring version of the exhibition and a large-format photographic book.

  • In close creative partnership with filmmaker John Chambers — who has led the musical collaboration — we’ve worked with two of the world’s great maestros, composer John Williams and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, to create an original piece of music for Great Ocean Forests. The work was recorded at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.

  • A night of ocean music is scheduled at the Royal Albert Hall for June 2027 to align with the exhibition at the Natural History Museum.

  • In partnership with the Kelp Forest Alliance, we are helping to establish a full-time research position at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. This role will produce leading research, track the global health of kelp forests, connect to policy makers, and strengthen conservation efforts — creating science informed change and lasting impact. The ultimate goal: to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forest by 2040.

  • We’ve commissioned a bespoke typeface, designed by renowned typographer Tal Leming — created exclusively for the project and used across our media.

  • An animated short film of the John Williams composition is now in development, along with a 12-part short film series — with active conversations at the highest level underway with a major global streaming partner.

  • Immersive Exhibition

    Developed in partnership with the Natural History Museum — one of the world’s most visited museums, with over 5 million visitors annually. Exhibition opens in April 2027, and after 8 months in London will travel internationally.

  • Royal Albert Hall

    We’ve secured an evening in early June 2027 for a night of ocean-themed music.

  • John Williams and Yo-Yo Ma

    Yo-Yo Ma recording the original composition by John Williams for Great Ocean Forests — captured at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.

  • Animation

    A concept still from the animation of the John Williams composition, with early development support from Pixar.

  • Films and photography

    Faine and Ross freediving with cameras — part of a five-year journey across six continents, documenting the world’s great kelp forests entirely on breath-hold.

  • Science & Policy

    In partnership with the Kelp Forest Alliance, we are helping to establish a full-time research position at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. This role will produce an annual global kelp report, inform policy, and strengthen conservation efforts worldwide.

  • Original typeface

    The Great Ocean Forests typeface — custom-designed by Tal Leming to carry the visual identity of the project across all the elements.

  • Large format book

    We’re publishing a large-format photographic book with a prestigious international publisher — documenting our five-year journey through the world’s great kelp forests, from Patagonia to Japan, Norway to New Zealand. The book will be released globally in conjunction with our 2027 exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London.

Global Kelp Forest Distribution

Kelp forests are primarily found along the coastlines of temperate regions, between 30° and 60° latitude in both hemispheres. These marine forests wrap the edges of continents in a living fringe, thriving where cold, nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface. The distribution shown here traces the global reach of these ecosystems, highlighting the places we’ve visited as part of the Great Ocean Forests project.

Media Piece Samples

We’re creating a series of short films and immersive pieces that bring the world’s kelp forests to life — captured while free-diving, and set to original compositions. For private viewing only: a sample immersive piece from Cornwall, England, and a sample short-film from Patagonia, Chile…

What we're looking for

We’re now looking for a small number of collaborators and brand partners who align with the spirit and scale of this project.

We’ve received support from philanthropic foundations — including the Aileen Getty Foundation — and we’re seeking one or two key sponsors to help bring the next phase to life.

This isn’t a naming-rights or logo-everywhere model. It’s about showing up with integrity and being part of something meaningful. We’ll work closely with you to design a tailored, creative partnership — one that feels right for your brand and reaches audiences through film, music, media, and public experience.

This is a cultural inflection point — the chance to support a global ocean story with emotional reach, scientific depth, and lasting creative impact. And to do so with humility, clarity, and care.

UBS has demonstrated powerful leadership in financing ocean protection and driving the transition toward a sustainable blue economy. Through your Ocean Resilience Philanthropy Platform and your commitment to climate and nature-positive investment, you’ve helped channel capital and innovation toward the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems.

Great Ocean Forests is a global storytelling project, five years in the making, revealing one of the ocean’s most vital yet overlooked ecosystems: the world’s kelp forests. These living systems cover nearly a third of the world’s coastlines, capturing carbon, buffering storms, and sustaining biodiversity — yet they remain largely unseen. Through film, photography, music, and immersive media, we are bringing them into view and amplifying the scientific and policy case for their protection.

Like UBS, we believe in connecting purpose with impact — in bridging philanthropy, science, and storytelling to drive real, measurable change for the ocean and the planet.

We’d be honoured to explore this journey together.