The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is based in Jamaica and determines the fate of seabed mining permits for deep sea mining anywhere in the world. Khadija's project raises the voices of Caribbean youth and local awareness of the uncertainties and harm surrounding this emerging industry.

Over the years, the ocean has played a critical role as a climate regulator by absorbing about 30% of human emissions of carbon dioxide, but the ocean health has been severely damaged as a result of plastic waste in the last two decades. This project seeks to leverage data and storytelling tools to spotlight the challenge of marine pollution and its dangers to society. The project also deploys a digital campaign involving use of short videos and infographics to educate residents across West Africa on the dangers of marine pollution, and improve practices of waste management.

Bawah Anambas Foundation actively restores the damaged coral reefs in Kiabu, Anambas. In 2020, they installed 40 coral spiders and planted 700 corals with SOA funding. This year, they plan to increase the percentage of coral cover via transplantation, re-establish fish habitat using coral spiders, and create 6 coral table nurseries.

France has the second most maritime territory in the world, including all 5 oceans, and the French government plans to allow deep sea mining. This project spreads awareness about this little known topic in all French speaking territories through social media campaigns, scientific literature reviews as well as articles and interviews in French media, with the goal of addressing the issue politically.

This grant supports Ocean Rescue Alliance's hybrid coral bio-engineered wave reduction modules (WRMs), which sustainably mitigate coastal infrastructure damage while bolstering a vibrant coral reef ecosystem. The WRMS was tested in the SUSTAIN wave tank in Miami prior to deployment. WRMs were successfully deployed, protecting coastlines by reducing wave energy while creating biologically important habitats.

With this project, Sciaena aims to promote a moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining in Portugal, reaching at least 10,000 people. The will do this by coordinating with Oceano Livre to increase membership, organize joint actions with anti land-mining movements in Portugal, and organize a public event. They will also organize meetings with the Minister and the National Director for maritime policy, as well as update Oceano Livre's internal documents, websites and campaign materials.

SOA UF's removed over 40 30-gallon bags of waste over 4 local waterways systems in Gainesville, FL, thereby preventing their entry into nearby marine ecosystems. Waste is sorted to document the type of waste, document in the CleanSwell Ocean Conservancy app, and properly dispose recyclable and non-recyclable items.

This research project focuses on a natural self-defense chemical used by the sea cucumber species, Synaptula reticulata. The researchers hope to synthesize this natural repellent in the lab in order to use it as a natural pesticide for aquaculturists, which in turn can lead to faster growth rates and lower mortality of aquaculture-grown fish. With the funding, researchers will be conducting a background investigation to estimate population abundance of this sea cucumber, as well as conducting initial tests on extracting and synthesizing their chemical repellent. They will publish and share their findings with a wide audience.

The goal of Max’s project is to establish a supply chain and minimum viable product utilizing purple sea urchin as a gourmet delicacy. Purple urchins are an invasive species along the California coast that feed on kelp, resulting in the decimation of many kelp ecosystems and the services they provide. Max is working to source and develop a food product with help from divers and scientists, and ultimately hopes to explore the possibility of urchin aquaculture using food waste and algae as an alternative food source for urchins.