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
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Gideon Sarpong
This will be a continuation of the same data journalism training that Gideon and SOA Ghana conducted last year, which successfully trained 15 journalists that published articles spotlighting illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing activities as well as marine pollution and its dangers to the ocean and society. This year he will do the same; conducting a training built around expert mentorship from 4 expert journalists. The ultimate objective is to influence ocean-related policy decisions by elevating ocean discussions to the top of the national agenda. The project will also deploy a digital campaign involving 10 short videos and 20 infographics to promote the articles and to educate residents across West Africa on the dangers of marine pollution, and improve practices of waste management. The digital campaign is expected to reach 100,000 people online.
Learn MoreGrant
Spain
Europe & United Kingdom
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
ALVARO ADAME RODRIGUEZ
Led by technicians from the Universidad de Cadiz, this project aimed to implement beach sponsorship for La Inmaculada Public School in Cadiz, where students learn about marine pollution issues through a new curated curriculum and participate in citizen science at Bahia de Cadiz Natural Park.
Learn MoreGrant
Brazil
South America
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Amanda Suita Moraes
This project is an online ocean literacy course for teachers. 80 Brazilian public elementary school teachers received 2 months of training in ocean literacy, scientific experiments, and new pedagogical tools that they then implement in their respective classrooms. Each teacher is able to educate and impact about 30 students.
Learn MoreGrant
Indonesia
Asia
Pollution: Waste Reduction & Circular Use
Reny Septiani
Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, is densely populated and has insufficient waste management. This group, the Seangle Movement, is a Palu-local youth movement that aims to combat plastic pollution. They do this through their Waste Education House program, which gives youth art education, recycling/upcycling education, and English language education to cohorts of 30 elementary school students per year. They also have a waste collection point, and the funds from the sale of recycled materials go toward continued educational programming.
Learn MoreGrant
Brazil
South America
Ecosystems and Species: Preservation & Restoration
Beatriz Mattiuzzo
This grant supports the work of Marulho, a for-profit social enterprise organization founded by Ocean Leader and Brazil Hub member, Beatriz Mattiuzzo, that recovers abandoned fishing nets and repurposes them into goods for sale. The outcome is to reduce ghost fishing and marine debris. Funding requested is for capacity building (new computer, improving wifi access on the remote island where located). marketing (video production equipment for social media campaign) and direct costs associated with removing debris (scuba gear).
Learn MoreGrant
Tonga
Oceania
Marine Data or Research
Leonati Motuliki
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.
Learn MoreGrant
Germany
Europe & United Kingdom
Ocean Data, Literacy & Research
Leonie Meier
This project seeks to engage wider audiences in the German-speaking world by making use of the social media graphics and material already developed by SOA, translating them into German, and engaging a social media expert to develop a sound communications strategy to engage specific target audiences.
Learn MoreGrant
Trinidad and Tobago
Caribbean
Ecosystems and Species: Preservation & Restoration
Khadija Stewart
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.
Learn MoreGrant
Guatemala
South America
Blue Foods: Fisheries, Aquaculture, & Seafood Alternatives
Andrés Muñoz-Ruano
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.
Learn More