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
Ghana
Africa
Pollution: Waste Reduction & Circular Use
Richmond Quarcoo
Ghana is one of the top 10 most polluted countries in the world. This project addresses marine pollution by organizing two beach clean-ups on the turtle nesting areas of Nungua in collaboration with the NGO Plastic Punch. These two events will be edutainment and a citizen science approach for data.
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
Trinidad and Tobago
Caribbean
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Diva Amon
SpeSeas raises awareness about key ocean issues in Trinidad and Tobago, led by a founding team of ocean science experts, including Diva Amon, who has worked in close partnership with SOA's Campaign Against Deep Sea Mining. With SOA support, they will amplify their social media presence, helping them to grow their network and make ocean literacy more accessible in the country.
Learn MoreGrant
Sri Lanka
Asia
Ecosystems and Species: Preservation & Restoration
Roshima Vithanage
The grant will be used to set up a coral nursery in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. After establishing the artificial coral nursery and reef, we aim to conduct further research involving policy makers in Sri Lanka to establish a marine protected area in the southern coastal belt. The grant also will be used to establish a school curriculum in Sri Lanka on ocean literacy and education.
Learn MoreGrant
France
Europe & United Kingdom
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Louise Delion
The Phoenix Expedition will be making a journey from France to California in order to document and promote local solutions to regenerate marine ecosystems with a focus on Blue Carbon and CO2 emissions avoidance. Ahead of the voyage, this project will be using social media platforms and partnerships to create educational material to raise awareness around Blue Carbon. Ten percent of all funds received will go towards restoration of coastal habitats with local partners that are visited throughout the journey.
Learn MoreStartup
Israel
Europe & United Kingdom
Blue Foods: Fisheries, Aquaculture, & Seafood Alternatives
Ariel Szklanny, Hila Elimelech, Ofek Ron, Ron Sicsic
Plantish is a foodtech company developing a breakthrough technology to produce premium whole-cut, plant-based fish fillets to sustainably feed the world at scale. Our vision is to become the world's leading fish brand, all without hurting a single fish. Our first product is Plantish salmon™, which is not only delicious, but also high in protein and Omega-3s and 6s, and free of mercury and antibiotics.
Learn MoreGrant
Portugal
Europe & United Kingdom
Ecosystems and Species: Preservation & Restoration
Filipa Duarte
Conservar e aMAR worked to decrease sea turtle mortality and increase sea turtle conservation. Sea turtles are often accidentally caught when black scabbardfish fishermen utilize horizontal longlines. This project tested the efficacy of a rescue rod vs nets and then implemented these rods with 20 fishermen in Funchal, Portugal to help decrease sea turtle mortality.
Learn MoreGrant
India
Asia
Pollution: Waste Reduction & Circular Use
Kristin Kagetsu
With support from SOA, Saathi will do a thorough assessment of the positive environmental impact of their product in terms of plastic and C02 pollution avoided due to the production of their plastic-free feminine hygiene products. Their business model has a positive impact at every part of our supply chain, providing income to farmers who produce the materials, employ an all-female manufacturing staff, and sell pads to women typically residing in underserved urban areas.
Learn MoreGrant
Brazil
South America
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Lisandra Maria Barroso Matos
Virtual Diving is an environmental education project inspired by Google Cardboard. Through virtual reality glasses made of recycled cardboard, students take a virtual tour in different marine ecosystems using the Google app "Expeditions". The Virtual Diving team knows that most people never have and probably never will have the opportunity to dive in their entire lives. They also know that this is a big problem for the oceans, because it is impossible to preserve what you do not know. Through their virtual tours, they show people what exists beyond the waves. The main themes they explore are coral bleaching and marine pollution.
Learn More