Looking back at 2022, I am humbled by the incredible work the SOA team brought to life. It was a record-breaking fundraising year, which allowed us to accelerate dozens of new ocean solutions that you can read about in this report. We now have more than 7,000 young ocean leaders around the world, and 82 hubs across 77 countries. The team came together for the first time since the pandemic at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Portugal, where we proudly cohosted the Youth and Innovation Forum. Many of us met in person for the very first time on the beautiful beach in Cascais, where we had the honor to watch more than 120 youth devise real-world solutions to some of the greatest threats facing our ocean – and even enjoyed a surprise appearance from actor and activist Jason Momoa! From our realized impact to strengthening internal bonds, it was truly SOA's greatest year yet.
Now looking forward to 2023, it is clear we still have so much work to do. We are bracing for the defining climate fight of our generation – deep-seabed mining. SOA has been campaigning vigorously against this destructive practice for more than two years, and recently delivered a collaborative petition with more than a quarter of a million signatures calling for a moratorium. The International Seabed Authority is set to vote on whether to allow the mining of the deep sea in July, and if approved, it could be open for business that very month. In the history of the destruction of our planet, our generation has never been present to prevent detrimental actions from taking place. This is why we are spending so much of our time restoring, regenerating, and rehabilitating. But now, we can prevent this horrific practice from ever starting. We cannot afford to stay silent and do nothing. We cannot afford to stay on the sidelines and watch those in power determine our fate and our future. This is why we must urgently continue to build our network of young ocean leaders – and ocean allies of all ages. It is critical we have a voice in world-altering decisions, as it is our future most at stake.
While we know we have our work cut out for us, I hope you are as inspired and buoyed by this report as I am. The climate crisis cannot be solved by one person. But together, we are creating meaningful change to protect our planet, our future, and each other.
Daniela V. Fernandez
Founder and CEO,
Sustainable Ocean Alliance
Our global network of people and solutions are making a measurable impact. These numbers are cumulative through December 31, 2022.
Sustainable Ocean Alliance takes a unique approach to solving key ocean challenges. By allocating funding across nonprofit grants, market-driven startup investments, and local initiatives, we support a diverse community of ocean solutions. This unique strategy has led to SOA supporting 266 ocean solutions across 77 countries over the past 5 years.
Through collaboration with ocean impact entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and scientific advisors, we have developed a methodology for organizing and collecting impact data across five key ocean areas. Each solution represented in this report falls into one or more of these impact categories. We hope that this report will encourage funders to allocate more resources towards solving these ocean challenges.
—
Craig Dudenhoeffer
Chief Impact & Investments Officer
2022 IMPACT:
1,143 metric tons of CO2 avoided or removed
Greenhouse gasses (GHGs) absorb infrared solar radiation and trap heat in the atmosphere, resulting in global warming, climate change, increased ocean temperatures and sea level rise. CO2, one of the most common GHGs, is absorbed by the ocean, which in turn, causes ocean acidification. In 2022, 36.8 gigatons of carbon (CO2) were emitted globally.
By supporting solutions that remove or avoid GHG emissions, or that sequester and store CO2, SOA can help reduce these harmful environmental effects and improve the health of our ocean.
2022 IMPACT:
1,794 metric tons of waste removed, avoided, or recycled
(including 446 metric tons of plastic)
Every year, 11 million metric tons of plastic enter our marine environments, killing marine life, destroying sensitive ocean ecosystems, and polluting food sources that support livelihoods around the world.
SOA champions solutions that remove these harmful pollutants from the ocean or avoid their use altogether. Their work in turn helps to build the circular economy, which promotes the extension of product lifecycles through recycling and upcycling, and aims to decrease solid waste and pollution.
2022 IMPACT:
Marine and coastal ecosystems protect crucial biodiversity, and provide services vital to our existence. These areas include coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, salt marshes, and the deep seabed. Together, they serve as critical areas for wildlife reproduction, nurseries for marine organisms, and landscapes for carbon capture.
Solutions in this category measure impact by reporting the area of marine habitat they restore or protect. In 2022, this included establishing 3,573 square meters of coral reef, and planting 19,425 mangroves. This category also includes 11 projects related to local education and advocacy around the detrimental impacts of deep-seabed mining.
2022 IMPACT:
56.9 metric tons of Blue Foods Produced
55 metric tons of bycatch avoided
More than three billion people rely on seafood as a primary source of protein, and 260 million depend on fisheries for their livelihoods. Overfishing, and illegal and industrial practices are killing wildlife and destroying wild places. At the same time, aquaculture seeks to meet demand and reduce the burden on the ocean, but can result in high levels of pollution if not performed sustainably.
Emerging alternatives to any form of aquatically-derived animal protein are plant-based and new methods of cellular agriculture. SOA supports solutions that produce sustainable Blue Foods and those that help move our food systems towards a sustainable future.
2022 IMPACT:
3,149 People Trained or Educated
156 Reports & Publications
296 Workshops
Ocean data, literacy, and research projects help us build the knowledge base we need to activate all other ocean solutions. While there may not be a singular category to measure their impact, in 2022 we have elected to report on education, training, and knowledge sharing.
The majority of projects in this category represent grants to SOA's global community, via Hubs. Through hosting over 150 events and activations around the world, their work has engaged over 200,000 people. These projects inform policy, drive innovation, and equip new audiences with the knowledge they need to become change agents in their own right.
Grant
Portugal, France
Europe & United Kingdom
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Juliette Aminian Biquet
As part of her PhD thesis, Juliette will conduct research and interviews into how and why Marine Protected Areas in Europe are successful--or not--through the lenses of policymakers and local stakeholders.
Learn MoreGrant
Indonesia
Asia
Ecosystems and Species: Preservation & Restoration
Gede Arya
Calypso Diving conducted a reef restoration project in collaboration with Ocean Gardener Yayasan, a local NGO involved in coral restoration and educational programs about marine ecology and reef conservation in Amed, Bali. SOA Support has helped the program conduct surveys, transplantings, and monitoring of 6 coral nurseries and 100+ corals; and supported a youth education camp "Blue School, Bali" to build ocean awareness amongst local youth in Bali. The classes are on coral conservation and marine life for kids from 5 to 15 years old in the Amed area.
Learn MoreGrant
Seychelles
Africa
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Jeremy Raguain
This project will visit and film 7 islands of the Seychelles to highlight and document biodiversity, island and marine conservation initiatives and challenges, marine protected areas and research. Seychellois will be interviewed and featured and the videos will be translated into the 3 official Seychelles languages.
Learn MoreGrant
Papua New Guinea
Oceania
Pollution: Waste Reduction & Circular Use
Vinzealhar NEN
This project will highlight the traditional conservation methods of Papua New Guinea by conducting interviews with village elders from two villages and conducting awareness programs on upcycling thrash in the capital. Informed by the interviews, a trial of to determine how effective these traditional methods are will take place over 3 months and 3 provinces.
Learn MoreGrant
Indonesia
Asia
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Muhammad Wawan Adisaputra
Rumah Inspirasi Bontang is a 3-part solution to tackle plastic pollution in Berbas Pantai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The 3 parts are: 1) A “Coastal School” education program, targeting adolescents in their district; 2) A facilitated workshop on how to process waste, and 3) establishing a community-operated Waste Bank.
Learn MoreGrant
Portugal
Europe & United Kingdom
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Eugénia Barroca
Ocean Hub Portugal will organize and host a series of webinars and podcasts, talking to experts on different aspects of the Deep Seabed Mining conversation. This will raise awareness about the issue in Portugal and throughout Portuguese-Speaking countries. In addition, Ocean Hub Portugal will create a board game - both physical and virtual, that circles around the theme deep seabed mining to make learning about the policies and international processes surrounding deep seabed mining entertaining. The game will be launched and promoted during World Oceans Day, in June 2021.
Learn MoreGrant
United States of America
North America
Blue Foods: Fisheries, Aquaculture, & Seafood Alternatives
Spencer VanDerKamp
Reeler is a mobile app launched in 2020 that connects fishers directly with consumers for affordable, traceable, and fresher fish. This grant will help them increase their number of seller listings, fulfillment percentage, and overall sales of sustainable catch in the Hawaiian Islands.
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Fiji
Asia
Ecosystems and Species: Preservation & Restoration
Komal Kumar
The SOA Pacific Hub hosted its first in-person conference on October 29-30, 2020 at The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. The conference was attended by 24 participants from all over Fiji and focused on the role of young people as innovative co-creators in the establishment of community-based projects regarding Ocean Health & Sustainability in Fiji.
Learn MoreStartup
United States of America
North America
Pollution: Waste Reduction & Circular Use
Sea F. Briganti, Leigh Ann Tucker
LOLIWARE is a leading seaweed-based, climate tech company. Our mission is to advance the planet towards a plastic-free, de-carbonized future with products that are Designed to Disappear™. We exist to combat the massive plastic waste problem with a natural and carbon-negative alternative: seaweed.
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