Algae created oxygenated atmosphere via photosynthesis, enabling complex life. Today algae support planetary/human health, but are threatened by pollution, climate change, overexploitation and habitat destruction, despite most people being unaware of algae

"Algarithm" ("Algaritmo" in Spanish) is a narrative-driven digital animated short film that takes the audience through various ecosystems, illustrating the crucial role algae play in our environment and the impacts of human activities on these systems. Through the eyes of the main character, "Algarithm", a personified algae, the film explores different natural settings, such as a serene algae forest and a riverbank, and contrasts these with scenes of environmental stress caused by a storm, highlighting the debris and pollution that affect these habitats.The objective of "Algarithm" is to raise awareness about the environmental benefits provided by algae, such as oxygen production and carbon sequestration, and to underscore the importance of sustainable environmental practices. By engaging the audience emotionally and visually, the film aims to foster a deeper understanding of ecological interconnectivity and motivate viewers towards conservation efforts and responsible environmental stewardship.

About the founder

BIO Pilar Muñoz
MugaMarine Biologist, born and raised in the coastal city Valparaíso (Chile), holds a master's degree in Oceanography and a diploma in Innovation and Technological Management. She works at the Universidad de Valparaíso, where she leads the Marine Algae Laboratory, coordinates the courses “Marine Botany” and “Phycology,” edits the scientific journal "Revista de Biología Marina y Oceanografía," and participates in outreach activities that blend science, art, and technocreativity, such as the renowned immersive documentary “Ocean Literacy Culture in 360°” (original name "Cultura Oceánica en 360"). As a result of this work, she was selected as Chile's representative in the IOC-UNESCO group of experts in Ocean Literacy, founded the Chilean counterpart known as the Ocean Literacy Working Group of the National Oceanographic Committee, and was recently elected President of the Chilean Society of Marine Sciences.

The Amazon River has the largest volume of freshwater of any river in the world. The river releases around 200,000 litres of freshwater into the ocean every second. Together, this freshwater flow accounts for nearly 20% of all river water that enters the oceans.And here lies our problem…
The Amazonian River system is under grave threat. As a result of extractivism, it is being polluted, poisoned and life within is disappearing at an alarming rate, One of the main causes of this is predatory fishing. Large commercial vessels with freezers coming in and are decimating the fish levels, much of this happens in Indigenous water territories. Furthermore, in these territories , there are often breeding grounds of many fish (for example in the flooded forests, there are even fish that spread certain tree seeds), these areas are vital in keeping the delicate ecosystem here and the wider water / ocean ecosystems in balance. We travelled to Brazil in January 2024 and met with over 100 Indigenous chiefs from across the Lower Tapajos region in Para, Brazil. We have been working with these communities for over a decade and at this event, had the great honour of being the first international organization to be invited to their Indigenous leadership elections.

Amongst other things, we were present to discuss the expansion of our forest guardian model which has been so successful in the region (And was featured in the 2021 UN report on Forest & Fauna, as a best practice approach to stopping deforestation). But what stood out this time most was the challenges they faced to protect the rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water in their territories

Indigenous water territories have traditionally been incredibly hard to protect due to their large surface areas, lack of resources and institutional support. However, we are delighted to share a new protection and prevention model which has been developed and coordinated between our European Crime prevention team and the Indigenous leaders of the Lower Tapajos.

This will result in a new Indigenous led Water Guardian program in the Amazon (focused on preventing water-based environmental crimes). Built on the foundations of our already successful and peer reviewed ‘access to justice’ model in the forest, we will be able to transfer and adapt our methodology to water.
The Water Guardians strategy will follow the below steps; Demarcation – Although waters are already demarcated there are no boundaries, so illegal operators can claim ignorance, we will install buoys in the water to clearly demarcate the water territory boundaries, defining the protected areas.Patrols – It is people who commit crimes and its only people who can stop them. The patrol ensures there is a presence, and this acts as the most effective deterrent to fishing vessels. The Water Guardians will require a speedboat and technology such as drones / zoom cameras for monitoring, surveillance, and documenting evidence.Access to Justice – Relationship Development with public prosecutors and federal police. It essential that strong relationships are built between the justice system and the Indigenous communities, so the evidence detailed above can be sent and acted upon. This ensures accountability and doesn’t just stop current activities but also highlights to others, that these acts will not go unpunished in future.

The biggest problem is the desinformation learned from childhood. I’ve witnessed ignorance around the health and protection of the ocean and important topics such as extinction or overfishing.

Our approach is to promote oceanic culture and marine life's protectionfrom childhood and adolescence because, in this way, it willbe easier to plant ocean awareness in new generations.Kids and teenagers are potential leaders in any profession.They will be very capable of taking more respectfuldecisions in regard to the ocean, it doesn’t matter the country, because this knowledge will be part of their life andthey will be contributing with their “drop of water”.Charlas El Oceano, an educational program of ProyectoAcuática, will be developed through face-to-face and onlinemeetings, workshops and intergenerational events withauthorities, scientists and young people who love the ocean. Inthis way, we could contribute to oceanic culture so it does nothave borders of age, language nor geography and scientificknowledge will be able to reach new generations.The children can change the world too.

About the founder

I was borned in Barranquilla, Colombia on May 14, 2008, so I am 16 years old. I will finish high school this year and my dream is tobecome a marine biologist and discover new species.I started Proyecto Acuática in 2018, when I was 10 years old. Six yearsago I could not find marine biology courses for my age, so I createdmy own method and I began to share what I learned using social media for educating and promoting an understanding of theaquatic ecosystem, focusing on new generations, schools, families and environmental organizations.Since childhood, I have been engaged in local conservation andenviron mental protection initiatives. Since 2019, I am the youngesten vironmental columnist for Caracol Radio in Colombia and, since2021, I am the only young girl Colombian agent of change in the Latin American Marine Education Network Relato Oceano. In 2022, Colombia Visible recognized my impact on environmental initiatives in Colombia. The subsequent year, Forbes ColombiaMagazine included me in their list of 70 future leaders.

Preserving Coral Reefs: A Restoration Initiative in Somabay Safaga

‍Coral reefs are under threat and in decline worldwide. However, the Red Sea holds potential as one of the last refuges for corals as we strive to stabilize the climate. To safeguard this vital ecosystem, I am launching a comprehensive and mindful coral restoration initiative within the Somabay Safaga region.

‍Our Mission

‍Our project begins with an extensive coral taxonomy monitoring of the bay, surpassing the detail of previous studies such as Riegl & Piller (1997). We will then focus on rescuing small coral colonies and fragments from sediment-heavy areas where they would not survive. Using fluorescent equipment, we will identify and collect these living colonies efficiently.In land-based farms, we will employ the Microfragmentation method to accelerate their growth while adapting them to future sea conditions, including higher temperatures and increased acidity. This is achievable through controlled seawater pools on land, ensuring the corals are well-prepared for changing environmental conditions.

‍Project Highlights‍

• Adaptation and resilience to future conditions
• Protection from abiotic parameters (storms, outbreaks)

The Restoration Process

1. Coral Collection
       o  Collect small coral polyps from sandy areas using fluorescence.
2. Data Collection
       o  Gather detailed information on area, depth, species, and size.
3. Raising Small Colonies
       o  Grow corals in land-based farms under future sea conditions until they reach maturity.
4. Reinstallation
       o  Return mature corals to their original dive sites.
5. Evaluation
       o  Continuously monitor and evaluate the restoration process and the health of the installation sites.

About the founder

“Sarah is a dedicated marine biologist with a specialization in Red Sea corals and coral reef monitoring. With a strong background in environmental conservation, she combines her scientific expertise with practical experience as a PADI Divemaster and European Scientific Diver. Recently, she has also become a certified AIDA 3 free diver.Beyond her professional pursuits, Sarah is a proud mother of two daughters. Her diverse skills and experiences reflect her commitment to both her family and the preservation of marine ecosystems. Her passion for marine biology began during her bachelor's studies, where she focused on fluorescence and conceived the idea for a holistic reef monitoring and restoration program.During her master's thesis:“39 Years of Continuity and Change in a Coral Community Structure at the Sanganeb-Atoll (Central Red Sea, Sudan)”, Sarah deepened her knowledge of coral taxonomy, ecology, and monitoring, fine-tuning her project concept. Currently, Sarah works as a sustainability consultant for Soma Bay, where she contributes to solid waste management, marine monitoring, and education on sustainability and plastic reduction, supporting the mission to create a sustainable and thriving ecosystem.”

While terrestrial protected areas are well known in Africa, the same cannot be said for their marine counterparts. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are critical for the conservation of valuable marine biodiversity.

Started in 2021, Marine Protected Areas Day (MPA Day) is the initiative of a consortium of South African organisations all passionate about the protection of marine life and people. Amongst the almost 140 different Environmental Days celebrated around the world, there are no days dedicated to raise the awareness of Marine Protected Areas. MPA Day complements other special ocean days such as World Oceans Day and provides a focus on MPAs.

By joining with people all over Africa in celebrating Marine Protected Areas Day we can make a clear statement that no matter where we live we can all help to protect the ocean and thus ensure that the ocean continues to support us.

By launching MPA Day we hope to…

• Create an annual global awareness day
• Bring together a global community passionate about MPAs
• Help target audiences understand the role they can play in securing the future of our oceans
• Help target audiences know and understand the importance of the marine environment for people, in their daily lives
• Help target audiences increase their support for MPAs
• Explore new ways of communicating ocean conservation
• Support the 30x30 movement and Ocean Decade Challenge 10

Ocean going ships will rely on the combustion engine for decades to come. Even with low- or no-carbon fuels slowly emerging, vessels being put into service today have a 30year life span. Currently emitting 1GT of CO2e annually.

Broadly accepted is that biofuels and LNG can bridge the gap the fastest at the required scale. But the world is lacking sustainable feedstock for biofuel production (without impacting food production or cutting down forests). SeaH4 will farm a fast growing seaweed in ponds (on land) along desert shores - without detrimental impacts on valuable habitats or arable land, which can then be turned into biogas. Biogas in turn can be upgraded into bioLNG (carbon neutral) and biogenic CO2, which, together with the African emerging green hydrogen industry, can produce carbon neutral e-fuels (e-methanol or sustainable aviation fuels). Note that the biogenic CO2 was removed by the seaweed from the ocean, reducing its acidification.
‍
SeaH4 has the objective to replace fossil fuels at scale, using farmed seaweed and green hydrogen as feedstock for alternative fuels production. This is a (relatively) low tech solution, using established technologies and indigenous biomass that has the potential to solve the supply issue at scale.
‍
It brings economic opportunity to thousands in rural coastal communities, where poaching of marine resources has become the only source of income, as artisanal fishing no longer provides meaningful income and where other industries will not establish, due to lack of infrastructure.
‍
It further allows us to decarbonise the use of the combustion engines, which in many cases cannot be replaced, with known technologies (incl African road transport, where EVs will not be affordable to many).

About the founder

Johannes is the CEO & Co-Founder of SeaH4, a company with the vision to decarbonise the shipping sector at scale by replacing fossil fuels with alternatives made from farmed seaweed and green hydrogen, while delivering impact in Africa and other developing countries.

Throughout his almost 20 year long career Johannes has served as project manager and leader in engineering focussed projects around the globe, in the blue economy. He led a series of first-of-a-kind projects and large-scale green field projects, all located on, under or adjacent to the ocean.SeaH4 is a dream come true and represents the perfect synthesis of his career, pioneering a new application of existing technologies at a scale that will matter, improving the live of thousands of Africans while working directly with the shipping sector and protecting the ocean.

‍About SeaH4:

SeaH4 is a Cape Town, South Africa based company, with the objective to decarbonise the hard-to-abatesegments of the transport sector, by producing bio- & e-fuels at scale, using seaweed farmed in ponds along desert shores and green hydrogen as feedstock.The company has been 100% self funded by Gcobisa Nosilela and Johannes Bochdalofsky and recently secured support fundingto translate their previous research and lab-tests into the field.The company challenges the narrative that Africa cannot supply sustainable biomass at the requried scales to merit the transition to biofuels. The technology also lengthens and localises the green hydrogen value chain into Africa, compounding the positive impact it creates.18,000 kms of low-lying desert shores are available to sale the solution, satisfying a market not only including shipping and aviation but ultimately African road transport, which is unlikely to electrify within the desired timeframes.With testing kicking off in Q3 2024, SeaH4 is now inviting partners to join them realising the next stage, a pilot plant in Namibia, with a scheduled beginn for construction in 2025.

The destruction of marine ecosystems by trawling on the continental and marine shelf has caused an increase in greenhouse gases, destruction of biodiversity and a decrease in fishing resources for artisanal fishing residents.

Applying blue carbon initiatives and participatory recovery of artificial rhodolith beds can improve decarbonization, biodiversity/productivity, and fishing supply on the continental shelf of the Colombian Caribbean. Rhodoliths, which are algae, improve habitats on the seafloor that are home to diverse species
Link: 
‍https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7204670363425779712/

Inspired by the need to combat one of the most pressing threats to our oceans, Chbika is a practical and effective tool designed to capture micro-waste from our beaches. The project offers a simple and accessible solution to local communities and environmental protection organizations and raises awareness amongst the beach goers and volunteers.

Chbika offers a practical and accessible solution to a complex problem while raising awareness amongst the beach goers and volunteers. Chbika looks like a traditional broom with a fine mesh attached to its base.
By passing Chbika through the sand, micro-waste especially micro-plastic is captured in the net while clean sand passes through. Once collection is complete, the waste is sorted and recycled, thereby reducing its impact on the environment. Chbika allows for quick and efficient collection of micro-waste, helping to keep our beaches clean. It's simple design makes it easy to use for volunteers, local communities, and environmental protection organizations.
‍
Momentum of the Chbika tool

‍Following this, many people around the world contacted us to acquire the tool. For the good of the planet, we shared the "how to" in an open source with several NGOs and environmentalists, and one of them in Brazil named Diego Saldana reproduced our concept, named it Ecopeneira and developed it. He made a video that went super viral with 112 million views: https://web.facebook.com/reel/801872484214090

‍Participating in the OceanLove Innovation Award 

‍It's the 1st time that we participate in a contest and if we get an award with an international recognition, it will help us develop the tool all over the world so that a maximum number of people can use it and the ocean will benefit from all the advantages. Implementation We didn't want to patent it because we would like to share the production process for free with all the persons that are interested in protecting the ocean so that we can all fight micro plastic.Once the debris is collected and sorted through workshops, it is recycled. We designed this tool in 2016, and in 2022, we published a video that went viral with 14 million views:
‍https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkGufAbAOWc/?igsh=MXBxY3E3eng3NTBzZw== We shared the "how to" for free so that more people can protect the ocean.https://web.facebook.com/reel/801872484214090A presentation video of our 1st model without wheels: The video went viral with 14 million organic views: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkGufAbAOWc/?igsh=MXBxY3E3eng3NTBzZw== The OceanLove Innovation Award will push this innovation even further, for the protection of the vital ecosystem of the oceans.

The FlipFlopi Project, an East African movement founded in 2016 on Lamu Island (Kenya), is pioneering the viability of the inclusion of plastics in a localised circular economy. Our area of expertise lies in our 'full-systems' approach that addresses behavioural change through education, upskilling, innovation, and advocacy to influence policy.

Our goal is to establish sustainable solutions to avoid plastic pollution in geographically remote shoreline communities by creating pathways for community-driven circular solutions rooted in local heritage, as well as alternatives and substitutes that maximise socio-economic and environmental benefits.Preserving local and maritime heritage has always been at the heart of what we do - in 2018 we built the world’s first 100% recycled plastic sailing dhow using traditional techniques. This dhow served as a positive symbol of our movement against plastic pollution, garnering widespread media attention - with tens of millions of people reached globally and created the foundation to develop a localized circular economy based on the heritage of our people.

Having demonstrated the viability of the model, we are now developing a business model that offers financial avenues to sustain the social aspects of our work, giving us the ability to embed waste plastic into heritage products, celebrating the tradition of our region, and providing a key opportunity to ensure that economic value remains within the community which has been our most significant achievement, since we now have proof-of-concept of the replicability in other peri-urban rapidly growing economies. Flipflopi has become a centre of excellence for heritage furniture and traditional boatbuilding that is ensuring post-consumer plastics remain within a closed loop.

 Chilika Lake is the world's largest habitat for Irrawaddy dolphins, with a recent survey reporting 151 individuals. This places them under the 'Vulnerable' category on the IUCN Red List. Despite hosting a significant population, the dolphins have faced a decline from 162 in 2021 to 151 this year due to anthropogenic pressures such as non-traditional and artisanal fishing, habitat degradation, and tourism risks. The livelihoods of over 1, 50,000 people in the Chilika Lagoon rely on marine resources for sustenance. However, limited awareness and understanding of conservation and ocean ecology lead to non-compliance with fishing regulations, further threatening the dolphins' survival.

To address these challenges, our idea aims to safeguard Irrawaddy dolphins through community engagement, awareness, capacity building, and policy advocacy. We target threats such as habitat loss, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, bycatch, over-harvesting, hunting, entanglement, climate change, tourism impact, toxic contamination, noise pollution, habitat degradation from oil and gas development, boat strikes, and poor policy implementation.

Key Objectives: 

‍Enhance public awareness regarding the challenges faced by Irrawaddy dolphins and foster local support for their conservation efforts. Contribute to the regeneration and sustained conservation of 151 Irrawaddy dolphins. Protect and regenerate the existing one acre of mangrove forest, providing habitat for dolphins and other ocean species

About the founder

Jeevan Rekha Parishad (JRP), which literally means "Life Line Council," is a 32-year-old grassroots non-profit organization established in 1993. For the past 15 years, JRP has been working with over 5,000 fishermen across 10 island communities in the Chilika lagoon of Odisha state, India. JRP is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species such as migratory and aquatic birds, dolphins, olive ridley turtles, and mangrove forests in the Chilika lagoon. The organization addresses critical needs in the following areas: ∙ Survival ∙ Climate change and biodiversity conservation ∙ Improved marine life and the restoration and preservation of ocean habitat Vision: A self-reliant society based on justice, equity and sustainability where every human being has the equal opportunity to maximize its potentialities. Mission: JRP brings rural and tribal communities together to educate them on environmental justice, human rights and sustainable development through community participation, advocacy and action research.