Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using DelightfulOceans.com (the "Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Platform.

These terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Platform.

2. The Platform

Delightful Oceans is a science-education platform operated by Delightful Planet (North Carolina, USA). The Platform provides free access to ocean literacy content including species profiles, marine sanctuary information, virtual expeditions, and personal essays about the ocean.

The Platform is provided free of charge and without advertising. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Platform at any time.

3. Permitted Use

You may access and use the Platform for personal, non-commercial, and educational purposes. You agree not to:

• Reproduce, distribute, or republish any content from the Platform without prior written permission from Delightful Planet
• Use any content for commercial purposes without explicit written consent
• Scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Platform in bulk
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform or its systems
• Use the Platform in any way that could damage, disable, or impair its operation
• Misrepresent content from the Platform as your own original work

Educators and researchers wishing to use Platform content for non-commercial educational purposes are welcome to contact us.

4. Intellectual Property

All content on the Platform — including text, species profiles, expedition narratives, scientific chronicles, imagery, design, and code — is the intellectual property of Delightful Planet or its content partners, and is protected by applicable copyright laws.

The name "Delightful Oceans," "Delightful Planet," associated logos, and distinctive visual elements are proprietary to Delightful Planet and may not be used without written permission.

Scientific data cited from published research remains the property of the respective researchers and institutions. We make every effort to attribute sources accurately.

5. User Submissions

The Platform may invite users to submit personal essays ("Love Letters") or other content. By submitting content, you:

• Confirm that the content is your own original work
• Grant Delightful Planet a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish, edit, and display your submission
• Agree that submission does not guarantee publication
• Acknowledge that Delightful Planet may edit submissions for clarity, length, or style while preserving your voice

We do not accept submissions that contain false information, infringe third-party rights, or are offensive in nature.

6. Disclaimer

All content on the Platform is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. While we strive for scientific accuracy and work with expert reviewers, the Platform does not constitute professional scientific, medical, legal, or environmental advice.

The Platform is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Delightful Planet shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Platform or its content.

8. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Use from time to time. Continued use of the Platform following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent update.

9. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Use, please contact us at [email protected].