Soonlution is a startup founded by a group of Hong Kong University students working to modernize the way shellfish are farmed by creating a prototype that allows for more sophisticated buoyancy controls, increasing the platform’s resilience and adaptability to typhoons, which are increasing in frequency and strength due to climate change. The support of an SOA microgrant has allowed them to test and refine three different prototypes as part of their proof of concept.

A group of researchers, led by Trent Tresch, conduct multiple deep-sea dives to study the six gill sharks and the presence of microplastics at depths of 1000-2,500 feet off of Roatan, Honduras. The footage and findings from their research is shared through a display at a local museum, and SOA is partnering with them to share their project to raise awareness of the ways human impacts are being felt even at the depths of the ocean.

Cruz Foam is a circular materials company that produces regenerative, earth-digestible protective packaging foam and other eco-friendly solutions that offer a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based products. Cruz Foam's patented products are circular in nature, using biopolymers found in nature to create a compostable material using the existing supply chain and at a similar cost. Cruz Foam currently works with consumer-packaged goods, electronics, appliance, and durable goods companies. Cruz Foam is a mission-driven company creating impact at scale by empowering industry leaders to be the catalyst for a cleaner environment.

This group of researchers, in partnership with the University Libre Barranquilla Phycology lab, will conduct workshops, plant an initial test farm, foster partnerships, and publish novel research to enable the growth of an equitable Colombian seaweed farming industry. Despite growing demand and desirable ecological conditions, the Colombian seaweed economy remains underdeveloped. As the industry grows, insufficient infrastructure and legislation may lead to the construction of an extractive and exploitative seaweed economy. They will conduct focus groups with Indigenous Wayuu people and regional fishing communities harmed by overfishing and climate change to build the foundation of a community-led seaweed ecosystem in Colombia.

This project is solving the over-exploitation of fish populations for the production of animal feed through the use of undervalued resources such as (insects, microalgae, and undervalued native plants) for the production of fish pellets for aquaculture. Working with the Integral Cooperative of Mayan-indigenous peasants in Quixaya, Guatemala, this scalable project provided them with the tools that help achieve sustainability within their livelihoods and provides them with an economic alternative in the context of a social enterprise, making them more resilient.

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.

SafetyNet Technologies is a UK-based early stage company, making the fishing industry smarter through the development of user-friendly technologies to enable Precision Fishing and make the industry more sustainable.

Gonçalo MAR, an artist affiliated with the seabed mining advocacy group Sciaena, creates a deep sea mining mural in Lisbon for the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, whilst Sciaena will coordinate social media activations around his artwork.

This project led by the Mounu Ocean Academy contributes to reef monitoring and whale conservation through community education, participation, and volunteer training. A training course will be developed to teach volunteers how to conduct regular reef surveys. The data will inform citizen science initiatives such as Reef Check and Coral Watch.