Winners
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#protectourocean
The stories behind the wave of change
Every finalist started with nothing but an idea. Read their stories, then look at yours again.
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The stories behind the wave of change
Every finalist started with nothing but an idea. Read their stories, then look at yours again.
Winners
20
Top ideas
13
Countries
2
Editions so far
€43K
Awarded to date
Discover Our Past Winners
We are proud to share the winners from the two editions of the OceanLove Innovation Awards, people who turned bright ideas into meaningful action for our ocean. By showcasing their work, we hope to make their impact visible and connect them with funds, investors, volunteers, and others who want to support their journey.
These stories are here to inspire all bright minded ocean lovers to think big, come up with bold ideas, and take them even further in the next round of the OceanLove Innovation Awards.
Gauri & Akshay Salunkhe
#1 · 2025
Reconnecting with Vanua
Indigenous youth-led reef literacy, blending traditional knowledge with marine science across Fiji.
€10,000
Hana Tohamy
#2 · 2025
VeryNile
Fishers collect and recycle Nile plastic before it reaches the sea, turning waste into green jobs.
€5,000
Action For Ocean
#3 · 2025
Matumbawe Hai
Coral restoration, sustainable fishing and financial inclusion across the Kilwa seascape.
€3,000
Che Divine Nsoh
#4 · 2025
Kick-Out the Debris
200 young leaders across five coastal communities in Limbe, with cleanups and a biodiversity football cup
Nadine Wahab
#5 · 2025
Sustainable Network Egypt
A national network linking Red Sea and Mediterranean sustainability projects
€1,000
Saad Abid
#1 · 2024
Chbika
A simple, low-cost tool that sifts micro-waste out of beach sand — now a judge and Special Ambassador.
€10,000
Gabriela Casuso
#2 · 2024
Charlas El Océano
Ocean literacy talks, videos and games for children — founded when she was ten, submitted at sixteen.
€5,000
Uriel Sanchez
#3 · 2024
SeaSprout
Artificial rhodolith beds that restore trawled seabed and lock away carbon as the algae calcify.
€2,500
Johannes Bochdalofsky
#4 · 2024
Alternative fuels from seaweed
Seaweed and green hydrogen turned into fuel at scale, with jobs for rural coastal communities
€2,500
Thom Wheeler
#5 · 2024
Guardians of the Sacred Waters
Indigenous-led protection of the lower Tapajós
€2,500
The Finalists
ClimatePod
A wet lab inside a shipping container that travels to monitor Mediterranean warming — encouragement prize, €1,000
Cyprus
Bahari Yetu Magazine
Swahili-language ocean science retold as community stories in Bagamoyo
Tanzania
Sachet, Away!
A comic and digital series on ocean literacy and deep-sea mining, made with local artists
Philippines
The Ocean Knows My Heart
A children's storybook and learning toolkit connecting Sinai and Tanzania
Tanzania & Egypt
Women Fisherfolk Leadership Corps
Leadership training, coral monitoring and sustainable fishing for women in Palawan
Philippines
The FlipFlopi Project
Plastic waste rebuilt into heritage furniture and traditional dhows, entirely within a closed loop
Kenya
Marine Protected Areas Day
A global awareness day connecting people to the protection of marine life
South Africa
Holistic coral reef restoration
Microfragmentation to rescue and regrow corals near Somabay and Safaga
Egypt
Algaritmo
An animated short on the quiet, essential role algae play in our ecosystems
Chile
Irrawaddy Dolphin Conservation
Protecting dolphins by preserving mangrove habitat and building local support
India
Your Turn
Got inspired? Yours could be next
Not one of these people had a company, a degree or funding behind them when they applied. They had an idea, and they sent it in. Applications for the 4th edition open in April 2027.
Seed funding
Grants to turn an idea into a first real step.
Coaching
An online bootcamp for the 30 most promising ideas.
A stage
The ceremony, the press, and a global network of OceanLovers.
Because you protect what you loveA volunteer-run non-profit, endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science.
