Education
OceanLove Awards attract record 487 ocean innovation entries from 91 countries – EnviroNews
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The third edition of the OceanLove Innovation Awards has attracted a record 487 applications from 91 countries, with African innovators accounting for half of the submissions, highlighting growing grassroots efforts to address threats to marine ecosystems.
The applications, received between April 1 and August 31, 2026, represent an almost 90 per cent increase over the 2025 edition and nearly six times the number recorded in 2024.
According to OceanLove, a volunteer-run non-profit organisation, 73 per cent of the applications came from countries in the Global South, making the awards one of the most geographically inclusive platforms for recognising grassroots ocean conservation innovations.
The organisation disclosed this at the third OceanLove Innovation Awards ceremony held on October 11, 2026, at AltaSea, Port of Los Angeles, California, United States.
The event celebrated winners across three categories: The Blue Circle, Living Sea and WaveMakers.
In addition to the projects selected by the judging panel, the ceremony featured a public voting exercise that allowed attendees and an international audience watching through a YouTube livestream to select their favourite projects from among the finalists.
The livestream attracted nearly 4,000 viewers.
The programme also featured a screening of Haagua, an Indigenous surf film by Native Like Water, and an exhibition fair involving 11 organisations and initiatives working to advance ocean conservation, education and community action.
The exhibitors included CSULB Science Learning Center, UCLA, Paddle Out Plastic, 7 Seas Collective, Clean Earth Rovers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Care Center, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Native Like Water, Project Neptune and Upwell Art Lab.
Speaking on the record applications, OceanLove Founder, Ilco van der Linde, said the response demonstrated that innovative ideas for protecting the ocean were abundant across communities worldwide.
“When we started, people asked whether there were really enough ocean ideas out there to fill an award. This year we read 487 of them, from 91 countries. The ideas were never the scarce thing – the platform was,” he said.
From the 487 applications, 30 projects were selected to participate in an intensive online bootcamp with expert coaches.
Under the awards programme, each winning project selected by the panel of judges receives $10,000 in seed funding, one year of expert coaching and global media exposure.
The winners also become OceanLove Laureate Ambassadors, joining the organisation’s network and supporting subsequent editions of the awards.
OceanLove said the programme was designed to provide more than financial support, as it seeks to build lasting relationships among innovators and create communities around promising ocean conservation initiatives.
The organisation noted that many previous winners remained involved in its activities long after completing their year as award recipients.
The awards are assessed by an international panel of scientists, campaigners and social entrepreneurs who volunteer their expertise.
The judges evaluate submissions based on originality, impact, reach and feasibility, alongside diversity, community upliftment and sustainability.
The 2026 judging panel comprises Sian Owen of Canada, Executive Director of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition; Prof. Alexander Turra of Brazil, Head of the UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability at the University of São Paulo; Laura Guimarães of Portugal, Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair Ocean Expert at the University of Porto; and Maria Murcia Diaz of Spain, a marine biologist and oceanographer.
Others are Khadija Stewart of Trinidad and Tobago, Founder of EcoVybz and EcoSeas Caribbean; Mohamed Kamal of Egypt, Director of the Greenish Foundation; and Saad Abid of Morocco, Founder of the Bahri Association and winner of the inaugural OceanLove Innovation Awards in 2024.
The 2026 ceremony also marked an expansion of OceanLove’s collaboration in the United States, particularly in the Los Angeles region, with Falana Monroe joining the organisation as a US Ambassador.
Monroe is expected to strengthen community engagement and promote the work of individuals and organisations developing solutions for a healthier ocean.
Nigeria is also represented in the initiative through Anthony Akpan, President of the Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), who serves as OceanLove’s Ambassador for Nigeria.
Beyond recognising innovative projects, OceanLove is developing an impact report titled The Heartbeat of Change, based on common challenges and emerging themes identified in the 2026 applications.
The report identifies 11 major themes and 43 subcategories covering areas such as ocean literacy, ecosystem restoration, pollution, climate change, technology and the blue economy.
It also highlights the grassroots innovators and communities behind the submissions, whom the organisation describes collectively as a “coalition of the willing”.
As part of its next phase, OceanLove plans to connect projects working within similar themes to encourage the exchange of knowledge, best practices, frameworks and technologies.
The initiative is intended to help promising ideas expand their reach, strengthen collaboration and accelerate their contribution to ocean protection.
The organisation said its approach was to connect, inspire, share and innovate, moving beyond the recognition of individual projects towards building a wider network of people and organisations committed to addressing ocean challenges.
The awards come against the backdrop of growing threats to marine ecosystems, particularly climate change, overfishing and pollution, which continue to undermine ocean health and the livelihoods of communities dependent on marine resources.
Through its awards, coaching and international network, OceanLove seeks to support community-driven solutions and provide grassroots innovators, particularly those in the Global South, with opportunities to develop and scale their ideas.
