NatureMetrics Expands with Norwegian Cruise Line for 2026 Alaska Season

NatureMetrics and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) are expanding their eDNA Biodiversity Monitoring Program for the 2026 Alaska cruise season. Building on a pilot that launched in 2024, the program will now run across 18 sailings and, for the first time, bring biodiversity science directly into the guest experience onboard.
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From pilot to program

The partnership began with a focused pilot in 2024, with crew members collecting water samples across 10 voyages to analyse eDNA and map marine biodiversity along Alaska's coast. That data, covering marine mammals, fish species, and broader coastal ecosystems, feeds into an interactive digital platform used to support endangered wildlife protection and document biodiversity across the Pacific Northwest.

The pilot demonstrated that large vessels operating on regular routes are well-suited to systematic eDNA sampling: consistent schedules, trained crew, and repeated transects through the same waters over a full season. The 2026 expansion puts that infrastructure to work at greater scale.

Building on a wider nature strategy

The eDNA programme is one part of a broader engagement with NCLH on nature. In early 2026, NatureMetrics delivered a full Nature Strategy and supporting Roadmap for the company, setting out concrete actions, timelines, and targets through to 2030. The strategy was preceded by a thorough review of how NCLH currently understands and manages its relationship with the natural world, benchmarked against global frameworks and sector peers.

The eDNA programme featured prominently in that review as a tangible, science-grounded step and the expanded 2026 season builds directly on the monitoring priorities the strategy identifies.

How eDNA monitoring works

Environmental DNA is genetic material shed naturally by organisms into their surroundings through skin cells, mucus, scales, and waste. In aquatic environments, it disperses through the water column, where it can be captured, sequenced, and matched against reference databases to identify which species are present, without ever needing to see or catch them.

In practice, the process on each sailing follows four steps:

1. Sample collection → Crew members collect small volumes of seawater at designated points along the route using standardised filtration kits.
2. DNA extraction & sequencing → Filters are processed in the lab to extract and sequence the genetic material captured from the water.
3. Species identification → Sequences are matched against curated reference databases to identify species present in the water at the time of sampling.
4. Data integration→ Results are uploaded to NatureMetrics' Nature Intelligence Platform, where they contribute to longitudinal biodiversity records for the region.

Because eDNA captures signals from the entire water column, including species that are rare, cryptic, or simply not visible at the surface, it provides a more complete picture of biodiversity than traditional survey methods. In a region like Alaska's Inside Passage, where species ranges are shifting and ecosystem pressures are increasing, that resolution matters.

Science meets the guest experience

New this season is the integration of the program's findings into onboard guest infotainment. The data collected on each sailing will inform interactive programming for guests, including:

• Biodiversity scavenger hunts highlighting species identified through the eDNA program
• Themed trivia experiences focused on Alaska wildlife and ecosystems
• Youth-focused programming designed to translate scientific insights into age-appropriate content
  
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"It brings our 'Caring for Nature' pillar to life by connecting science, conservation, and guest education, while deepening our understanding of the ecosystems in which we operate."

— Heike Naigur, Senior Director of Sustainability, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

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Why this matters

Partnerships like this one reflect a broader shift in how companies are approaching nature data. Not as a one-off reporting exercise, but as an ongoing commitment to understanding the ecosystems they operate in. For NatureMetrics, working with NCLH offers a consistent, high-frequency sampling programme through some of the most biodiverse and least-monitored coastal waters in North America.

The Inside Passage isn't just a cruise destination. It's a critical habitat for humpback whales, orcas, Pacific salmon, and dozens of other species whose population trends are closely watched. Systematic eDNA monitoring across a full season (on regular routes, year after year) is exactly the kind of longitudinal data that conservation science needs more of.

Sailings run from 13 May through 11 October aboard Norwegian Bliss™, Norwegian Encore™, Norwegian Joy™, and Norwegian Jade™, covering Alaska's Inside Passage.