The TerraMar Project was a non-profit dedicated to ocean-focused environmental activism. Founder Ghislaine Maxwell was an alleged “close associate” of politically connected sex offender and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. [1]
The New York Post reported in July 2019 that federal officials investigated the Project after Epstein was arrested for his alleged sex trafficking operation. [2] It was closed soon thereafter and its Twitter account was deleted. [3][4]
Funding
The TerraMar Project was funded substantially by loans from Ghislaine Maxwell. The organization gave $874 in grants during its existence, according to the Post. [5]
The Project’s revenues were as low as $582 in 2017 and as high as $132,658 in 2014. [6] Its expenditures ranged from over $156,000 to nearly $224,000 from 2012 to 2015. [7]
Activities
The Project’s mission was to raise awareness for ocean conservation efforts. Maxwell spoke at a 2014 Council on Foreign Relations event about the issue. [8] She also spoke at events at the United Nations in 2013 and 2014. [9][10] She also gave a TED Talk. [11][12]
These high-profile events dovetailed with Maxwell’s and the Project’s high-profile partnerships. The Project’s effort to hold the United Nations to sustainable promises made regarding the ocean were praised and backed by the Clinton Global Initiative. [13][14]
Maxwell authored a 2015 op-ed for the Project’s newsletter, “The Daily Catch,” which theorized the moment the oceans “failed” due to environmental harm. [15] Archives of The Daily Catch were live as of August 17, 2019. TerraMar Project’s director of development Brian Yurasitis’ LinkedIn profile shows that the Project had several projects as part of its mission. [16] One project was the “How I sea” campaign, which collected stories from environmentalists and others who took photos of the ocean around the world. [17]
The #NoMoreButts initiative was the Project’s effort to create more opportunities for smokers to dispose of cigarette butts in an environmentally friendly fashion. [18]
Ghislaine Maxwell
Maxwell is the daughter of controversial British media magnate Robert Maxwell, who was implicated in mishandling the pension fund of the Daily Mirror after his death in 1991. [19]
After Ghislaine Maxwell moved to New York following her father’s death, she became widely known for her high-end social connections with U.S. Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein, British royalty, and others. [20][21] She attended Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. [22]
Despite decades in the public eye, she became a very private person in 2016. That year, she sold her $15 million home and largely disappeared from the public. [23]
After Epstein’s death, Maxwell became a notable figure amid allegations that she was involved in Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking scheme. A federal court ordered the release of 2,000 pages of documents related to a 2015 lawsuit filed by one of Epstein’s accusers; the woman alleged that Maxwell had solicited her to perform sex acts for Epstein as a 16-year-old. Maxwell denied the allegations and has not been criminally charged. [24] Maxwell reportedly has settled lawsuits with two women who claimed she was involved in Epstein’s exploitation without admitting guilt. [25][26]
Maxwell has been involved in many public projects and efforts. She co-hosted a launch party for the publishing platform Ideapod in 2013. [27][28]
Other Leadership
The TerraMar Project’s leadership consisted of Maxwell, celebrities, and scientists. Sylvia Earle, who in 2014 was at the National Geographic Society, helped give the Project initial credibility, as did Dan Laffoley, at the time marine vice chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature World Commission on Protected Area. [29]
Dead Poets Society producer Steven Haft served on the Project’s Board of Directors, as did businessman and United Nations official Amir Dossal. [30]
Brian Yurasitis was listed as the TerraMar Project’s Director of Development on August 17, 2019. [31]
Former Coast Guardsman Robert Foos served as Director of Development and Chief of Staff for TerraMar. [32]