Yamaha Rightwaters™ marked its seventh anniversary on Monday, June 8, World Oceans Day 2026. Launched in 2019, Yamaha Rightwaters continues to support programs that make significant progress in keeping waterways clean and promoting sustainability for generations to come. Several key metrics over the course of the last 12 months include:
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Yamaha Rightwaters™ marked its seventh anniversary on Monday, June 8, World Oceans Day 2026. Launched in 2019, Yamaha Rightwaters continues to support programs that make significant progress in keeping waterways clean and promoting sustainability for generations to come.
- More than 264.2 tons of debris removed from U.S. lakes, rivers and coastal waters through collaborations with clean up organizations including Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful®, Keep the Golden Isles Beautiful, the Conch Republic Marine Army and the Chattahoochee River Keeper
- More than 155 million oysters successfully re-established in critical marine environments across the U.S. through support for the Billion Oyster Project®, the UGA Marine Extension Program, Mobile Baykeeper, Georgia Southern University
- 31,752 students engaged in research and restoration through support for organizations and programs including the International Gamefish Association’s “Passports to Fishing,” the Chattahoochee River Keeper’s floating classroom, Wildlife Forever®, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust®, The University of Georgia®, The Georgia Institute of Technology®, and Georgia Southern University
- 20,512 invasive lionfish removed during the Emerald Coast Open 2026
- 224,000 acres of coastal land restored through relationships with organizations including Ducks Unlimited®, Coastal Conservation Association Maryland, Mobile Baykeeper and Bonefish and Tarpon Trust®
Founded on four core pillars: restoring marine habitats, supporting academic research, managing invasive species and promoting marine stewardship, Yamaha Rightwaters delivers measurable, science-driven results that benefit both the environment and the marine industry.
“Yamaha Rightwaters reflects our long-term commitment to protecting the waters that make boating and fishing possible,” said Joshua Grier, Sustainability Program Manager, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “From habitat restoration to recycling initiatives and conservation partnerships, every effort is designed to preserve marine environments for future generations. Healthy waterways are critical not only to the ecosystems themselves, but to the future of recreational boating and fishing.”
Highlights from Yamaha Rightwaters’ efforts from June 2025 through June 2026 include:
Scientific Research and Marine Education
Yamaha Rightwaters agreed to support The University of Georgia’s® (UGA®) Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant fleet, which works to improve the environmental, social and economic health of the Georgia coast through research, education and extension, over a 5-year period. Yamaha Rightwaters provided three Yamaha 150-horsepower outboards in 2025 and will continue to provide outboard power for vessels in 2026 and 2027 with one Yamaha 90-horsepower outboard, one 115-horsepower outboard, one 150-horsepower outboard and one 200-horsepower outboard, to help support the responsible use of Georgia’s coastal resources. UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s vessels serve as vital platforms for hands-on learning, coastal research and community engagement.
Building on a 50-year legacy, the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant serves Georgia’s coastal communities through four focus areas: environmental literacy and workforce development, healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and resilient communities and economies. The group’s research and education vessels support hands-on aquaculture research, habitat restoration and monitoring, and environmental education programs for students and visitors.
In addition, Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Davidson College® to sponsor a student-led sustainable marine project focused on repowering and redesigning a pontoon vessel with a Torqeedo® Cruise 6.0 R electric outboard motor. The project aimed to convert a gas-powered pontoon into a fully solar-powered vessel with minimal environment impact, aligning with Yamaha Rightwaters’ initiative to support academic marine research.
Yamaha Rightwaters also expanded its sponsorship with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) through a renewed three-year agreement, which provides HSWRI with two new outboards that will help the organization fulfill research and marine mammal rescue work in Florida and California. A Yamaha 115-horsepower outboard will power the primary response vessel for HSWRI’s Marine Mammal Stranding Team, and a 50-horsepower Yamaha outboard will power the HSWRI skiff that services offshore white seabass net pens. Yamaha Rightwaters became the official outboard of HSWRI in June of 2023.
Habitat Restoration, Marine Conservation and Community Engagement
In the spring of 2026, Yamaha Rightwaters and Georgia Southern University released new findings from a collaborative coastal conservation project, demonstrating restored oyster reefs can significantly enhance salt marsh growth and shoreline stability along the Georgia coast.
Results recently published in the journal Diversity showed all restored sites experienced consistent marsh growth, outperforming nearby unrestored control sites despite varying environmental conditions. On the eastern, more exposed shoreline, restored areas increased by more than 50 square meters, while control sites experienced a net loss in marsh area. Along the southern shoreline, marsh expansion at restoration sites was approximately twice that of control locations, with shoreline migration rates two to three times higher.
In 2025, Yamaha Rightwaters entered a five-year agreement with Tampa Bay Waterkeeper to strengthen water quality advocacy in Tampa Bay. Through this collaboration, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper received a 115-horsepower outboard to repower its work vessel, enhancing its environmental initiatives. Tampa Bay Waterkeeper serves more than 2.7 million people across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, focusing on water quality, ecosystem protection and coastal resilience. The organization conducts research, engages the community and works with local stakeholders to develop effective solutions. In addition, Tampa Bay Waterkeeper conducts bi-weekly water testing, reports bacteria levels to inform the public and gathers data to identify violations of the Clean Water Act and other environmental regulations.
Finally, Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Mobile Baykeeper to help protect and restore the Coastal Alabama Watershed. Mobile Baykeeper, a nonprofit organization, works to improve water quality and reduce pollution in the bay through marine research and habitat restoration, efforts that align with Yamaha Rightwaters’ initiatives. To advance these efforts, Yamaha Rightwaters provided one 30-horsepower tiller outboard and two 150-horsepower outboards, which will support two primary initiatives: revitalizing oyster populations to lower chemical levels and prevent coastal erosion, and restoring seagrass beds to support increased biodiversity, sediment stabilization and nutrient filtration.
Yamaha Rightwaters is a national sustainability program encompassing all of Yamaha Marine’s conservation and water quality efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, reduction of marine debris, and environmental stewardship education. Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha’s long-standing history of natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational fishing and water resources, and the Angler Code of Ethics, which requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all marine resources.
Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., is responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of Yamaha Marine products in the U.S. including Yamaha Outboards, Yamaha WaveRunners®, Yamaha Boats, G3® Boats and Skeeter® Boats. Supporting 2,400 dealers and boat builders nationwide, Yamaha is the industry leader in reliability, performance, technology and customer service.
REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.
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