Advancing ocean knowledge: Our eDNA partnership

Introduction

Recent events in the Middle East demonstrate how even localised disruption to our use of the Ocean for transport can have major implications for the global economy. They also remind us how vulnerable our ocean use can be to geopolitical as well as environmental pressures. But, of course, the Ocean’s role goes far beyond transport: it is also an essential source of biodiversity, climate regulation, food and many other essentials to life , as we have detailed in a separate report.

Despite its great importance to both human and planetary well-being, scientific knowledge and understanding of how the Ocean functions is still only partial. We lack full understanding of the functioning of ocean currents, ocean deoxygenation and acidification, its carbon cycle and its ecosystems. Building this understanding is being made more difficult by the complex geopolitics around the Ocean and its development. Geopolitical tensions, often driven by economic considerations, are evident in countries’ varying attitudes to existing and new international agreements (notably the UN High Seas Treaty, which entered into force in January 2026). National ambitions, in existing or new marine industries, can often still dominate sustainability concerns. Public awareness of the Ocean’s functioning and importance also still appears limited.

Deutsche Bank is deeply involved in developing ocean finance with a focus on sustainability. We are very proud to have been the first bank to join the #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment in 2023 to drive financial system policy change and invest in nature-positive outcomes. In 2024 we made important updates to our policy on ocean-related finance. And in November 2025, at our investor day, we announced our new “nature ambition”: 300 nature-related transactions over 2026-2027.

As part of our Ocean commitment, in early 2024 we established an eDNA partnership with SailGP Germany, ORRAA (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance) and NatureMetrics.

This partnership takes water samples with the help of local scientists at the locations of SailGP races around the world. The samples are analysed, with the results intended to help scientific understanding of species presence, raise local awareness of marine conservation issues and provide evidence for local nature-protection initiatives. We summarize the findings of our surveys from 2024-2025 later in this report.

In the remainder of 2026, we plan surveys mainly in repeat locations – New York (3rd time), Sydney (2nd time), Rio (2nd time), Bermuda (2nd time), Sassnitz (2nd time) and Rio (2nd time ). One particular focus will be on education; we believe this is a good way to foster public interest, knowledge, support and participation by local communities to sustain ocean conservation.

Markus Müller
Chief Investment Officer for Sustainability & Global Head of CIO Office
Deutsche Bank – Private Bank