A royal christening of a new vessel
One of the most significant milestones of 2025 was the christening of the new Sea Ranger Service ship, SRS Janet Taylor, by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands in Rotterdam. The ceremony brought together representatives from the maritime sector, government, conservation organisations, and social finance, underlining the broad support for the Sea Ranger Service’s mission.
A visit from the Welsh Deputy First Minister
Another highlight of the year took place in Swansea, Wales, where Huw Irranca-Davies, Welsh Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, stepped aboard the Sea Ranger ship SV Fantastiko. The visit was an important moment of recognition for the impact of combining youth employment with practical environmental action at sea.
A partnership with the Royal Netherlands Navy
2025 also marked the start of a new collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Navy. The first step in this partnership saw naval cadets working alongside Sea Ranger crews for a period of four months. During this exchange, cadets helped manage Sea Ranger vessels, assist with operations, gaining valuable hands-on experience while supporting ocean conservation work.
For the Sea Ranger Service, the collaboration strengthens operational capacity and knowledge exchange, while reinforcing shared values around seamanship, discipline, and service.
World Port Days 2025
The Sea Ranger Service took part in World Port Days in Rotterdam, the largest annual maritime celebration in the Netherlands. One of the standout highlights of the event was the spectacular evening lightshow, during which the organisers featured SRS Janet Taylor. Seeing the ship illuminated and celebrated in front of such a large audience was a proud moment for the team and a powerful reminder of the growing recognition of the Sea Ranger Service’s mission.
Training the next wave of Sea Rangers
This year, a new wave of 15 Sea Rangers joined the organisation and began the assignment season, each bringing with them a personal story, a passion for nature, and the drive to restore our oceans and coastal environments.
New faces in the team
This year, we welcomed new staff members to our team: Jamie Pinkney as Finance and People Coordinator, Annemarie Trajanovic as Executive Assistant, Roeland Koelman as Acquisition Lead and Albert van der Hem as Volunteer Senior Advisor. Their expertise enhances our ability to carry out our mission and strengthen the organisation.
Seagrass restoration
In 2025, Sea Ranger Service continued its seagrass restoration work across multiple countries. Throughout the year, Sea Rangers worked on collecting seagrass seeds from healthy donor meadows, harvesting them while still enclosed in spathes to protect seed quality. After ripening, seeds are carefully sorted by hand and stored over winter to safeguard them for the next planting season. Alongside seed preparation, the team monitored field conditions in the Eastern Scheldt, The Netherlands, observing site characteristics and restoration potential to inform future planting. Together, these activities laid the groundwork for the next phase of seagrass planting, supporting the recovery of vital seagrass meadows.
Public support for seagrass restoration
The Sea Ranger Service is now featured on Sumthing, creating a new way for the public to support the organisation’s mission. Following strong interest from supporters looking for practical ways to contribute, the platform enables direct support for Sea Ranger activities.
Through Sumthing, supporters have already helped fund the restoration of 1,350 square metres of seagrass in The Netherlands.
Launching the Sea Ranger webshop
The year concluded with the launch of the Sea Ranger webshop. The webshop offers a range of products designed by a Sea Ranger, with every purchase directly benefiting the work of the Sea Ranger Service. The launch created a new way for supporters to contribute to the Sea Ranger Service, and look cool while doing so.
