Katharine Shambaugh, an Environmental Sustainability Masters student specializing in Behavior and Communication, is undertaking a study to explore the responses of local communities in Maine to changing fishing practices and the introduction of aquaculture. Maine is the perfect place to examine the impact of climate change due to its dependence on fishing and Maine's gulf warming at a rate faster than 97% of the Earth's oceans. There has been a drastic shift in marine life and generational fishing communities are being impacted, and aquaculture presents a potential alternative livelihood that is more environmentally and economically sustainable. However, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute has identified varied reactions towards incoming aquaculture across Maine's fishers, but the reasons for these differences are not fully understood. Katharine plans to conduct interviews and surveys in fishing communities in north, central, and southern Maine to gather their perspectives on the introduction of kelp and shellfish aquaculture to uncover some of the reasons for regional disparities and how they might be addressed.

Vieques, an island municipality of Puerto Rico, is facing numerous challenges including overfishing, habitat degradation, and military pollution. These threats have limited the productivity of essential fish habitats, which are essential for small-scale, coastal fisheries. To address these limitations and improve the sustainability of local fisheries, Abdiel Connelly Boulogne founded SAMAR, a grassroots sustainable fisherfolk led educational project. SAMAR seeks to promote sustainable fishing practices in harmony with nature, while also supporting food sovereignty and environmental justice, to implement practices that will make healthy foods accessible to the Vieques community. Through this project, SAMAR will develop and implement a sustainable fishing education program that incorporates climate change adaptations specifically designed for the realities of Vieques youth. The program will be taught to 6 youth islanders, who in turn will help impact 15 additional islanders during a hands-on summer camp.

Founded by Aaron Huang, OoNee is a regenerative vertical sea ranch that addresses the damaging impact of urchin barrens on kelp forests along California's coastline. OoNee strives to create opportunities for individuals from underserved and underprivileged communities to engage in meaningful work related to the development of climate-resilient enterprises. As part of this project, struggling fishers from the community will be identified and trained in scuba diving, reef surveying, urchin harvesting, and urchin processing.

SOA Costa Rica Hub aims to serve as a collaborative platform for young conservationists, professionals, and community leaders working on conservation and environmental projects. They will run a campaign to build awareness on the biodiversity and importance of the deep sea that will include film screenings, photo exhibitions, and artwork from artists that participated in deep-sea research expeditions. They will also help five youth implement their own ocean preservation & restoration events in different Costa Rican coastal communities. This project is being led by Marilyn Valverde, who is the founder of Mar y Comercio, an organization dedicated to marine conservation by accelerating the economic development of coastal communities.

The aim of this project, by SOA Spain Hub is to organize the 2023 Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) event in Spain. LCOY is an event under the umbrella of YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its aims are to be a space to boost youth climate action locally and create an input into the international conferences. It represents a national version of the international Conference of Youth (COY), which takes place immediately before the Conference of Parties (COP), the annual UN-Climate Change Conference. Project leader Joseph Julca Mendoza is marine biologist and scientific communicator, with special interest in the environmental area and marine sciences.

SOA Brasil, in collaboration with other partners, will run awareness campaigns on critical topics such as cação (shark) consumption, the impact of tourism on marine species, and oil exploitation in North Brazil. They’ll also conduct an environmental education day for 100 children in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to disseminating knowledge, a key focus of the project is to amplify the voices of young leaders involved in ocean-related projects across different regions of Brazil. Project Leader Nayana Silva is also the founder of Tsu Ambiental, a social environmental business that works with marine waste management, environmental education and research.

SOA NYC Hub is organizing a youth hackathon and creating a dedicated platform for mentorship, ideation, and the development of innovative solutions. The hackathon will focus thematically on generating practical, systemic strategies to engage specific subpopulations with local waterways and foster ocean conservation efforts. By encouraging participants to ideate around grassroots organizing, the project aims to equip them with lifelong insights and skills, transforming them into effective community organizers who can reach and uplift a diverse range of stakeholders. The project is led by Emelia Suljic, an experienced leader and researcher who focuses on hackathon design and utility for improving global health systems.

This initiative by SOA Honduras focuses on raising environmental awareness among young children. The project aims to educate children from various schools about the hazards of plastic waste on the beaches and its detrimental effects on marine ecosystems through interactive activities and beach clean-ups, thereby encouraging children to become proactive guardians of the environment and catalysts for change in their communities. Project leader Sayra Rodríguez is an environmental engineer and has been a member of SOA Honduras since 2019.

SOA Peru is organizing an event called "Youth for the Protection of the Peruvian Sea” to showcase SOA Peru's journey, feature testimonials from project participants, and encourage youth engagement in their advocacy efforts. They have also formed partnerships with youth organizations to promote knowledge of COP negotiations and teach them how to effectively communicate their needs in "COP language." Additionally, SOA Peru is co-organizing the Pre COP 2023 to ensure that the ocean remains a crucial topic during Peru's commitments for COP 28. Project leader Stefanie Torres has represented Peru in many international events such as UNOC Youth & Innovation Forum 2022, UN Ocean Conference, COP 27, COP19 CITES as well as collaborated in participatory processes such as the LCOY Peru 2021 and 2022.