TV broadcaster and marine biologist Monty Halls has spoken of his excitement at the launch of his new ‘Big Blue Bag’ initiative.

Organised in collaboration with Visit Isle of Man, the initiative will see participants receive a bag containing equipment which will allow them to collect data on marine health, including information on microplastic pollution, species biodiversity, water temperature and coastal debris.

It is hoped the information will help to inform conservation efforts around the world.

It will also soon be possible to upload the collected data to a digital app which is currently being developed by software development company Natural Aptitude.

Speaking at the Sea Terminal in Douglas this week, explained that the initiative has received a number of generous sponsors so far, but that he is still looking to partner with more companies.

‘If anyone’s interested, please get in touch,’ he said.

‘What we’re planning to do is create the largest citizen marine science sampling program in the world across the next five years, which will also provide a gateway for young people to get into marine science.

‘The bags themselves are reasonably expensive to buy because of the kit that’s inside them, so a way businesses or individuals can get involved would be to buy one for a local school or local club, which would really help us.

‘It’s £220 to buy a bag, but if you hand that over to someone, they're using it for years.

‘They can use it to provide years of data, and it gets them enthused and engaged in the marine environment.’

An ex-Royal Marines officer, Monty is a qualified marine biologist and is best known for his work on the BBC series ‘Great Escape’.

His many literary achievements include regular contributions to magazines and newspapers, as well as his best-selling book ‘My Family and the Galapagos’, chronicling his family’s three-month-long adventure to the Galapagos Islands, which was also adapted into a docu-series on Channel 4.

Monty hosted Media Isle of Man’s Awards for Excellence in November 2023, which commemorated the RNLI as part of its 200th anniversary celebrations.

As an endorser of the RNLI, Monty has a wealth of experience in the maritime industry. His 2012 book ‘The Fisherman’s Apprentice’ documents his year-long venture as a fisherman in the Cornish village of Cadgwith.

He also made the news in February 2022 when, alongside a team of marine rescue divers, he rescued a dolphin from thick mud in a creek near his home in Devon.

Asked if the new Big Blue Bag initiative was a project close to his heart, Monty said: ‘Yes, very.

‘It started out as a sense of frustration, really. I was talking to people about the challenges of the marine environment and the issues it faced, but I wasn’t doing anything about it.

‘Beach cleaning is a big thing across the UK now, but I wanted something that went beyond that, and got young people really, properly engaged.

‘I always describe it as a gateway for young people to get into marine science, because they're sampling and taking genuine data.

‘They’re researchers and marine scientists now, and the data they’re providing makes a difference.’