Each year, the Ocean Awards, held in partnership with Nekton and in association with Kensington Yachts, celebrate the achievements of individuals, groups and organisations from around the world that are dedicated to restoring the health of our oceans.
Now in its 10th year, the awards continue to shine a light on a number of worthy initiatives and celebrate a wealth of extraordinary personal and collective efforts to save our seas, from local heroes to pioneering innovators.
This year, there are four categories of awards: The Local Hero; Innovation; Science Impact and Ocean Education. Recently, a panel of judges had the unenviable task of whittling down the impressive entires to just 13.
Discover the individuals, innovative technologies and environmental projects that made the shortlist.
The Local Hero
This award recognises the individual or (grassroots/community-based/local) group that has had the most positive impact on the marine environment within their local community this year.
Name: Dr German Mendez
Organisation: Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Programme
Dr. German Mendez, a veterinarian-turned-marine biologist, has dedicated his career to restoring Cozumel’s coral reefs.
Drawn to the Mexican island in 1982 for its world-class diving, he witnessed the devastating loss of nearly 97 per cent of local coral following the 1994 construction of a cruise ship dock within the Cozumel Marine Park. Determined to reverse the damage, he pursued a marine biology degree at Nova Southeastern University and, in 2012, founded the non-profit Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration Program (CCRRP).
Under Dr. Mendez’s leadership, CCRRP has rehabilitated critical reef areas, trained volunteer divers as coral gardeners and advocated for stronger conservation measures.
In 2024, his team protected coral nurseries from bleaching using shading structures, identified wastewater leakage as a key pollution source and secured $5,000 in seed funding - the only coral restoration initiative to do so.
Additionally, CCRRP expanded volunteer engagement by 50 per cent and hired its first full-time staff member, enhancing education and outreach efforts through snorkel tours and visitor programmes.
Name: Tarevoktere
Organisation: University of Tromsø
Tarevoktere is a volunteer-led marine restoration initiative in Northern Norway, dedicated to restoring kelp forests devastated by unchecked sea urchin overgrazing.
The decline of key predators, such as wolffish, has allowed urchin populations to explode, turning once-thriving kelp ecosystems into barren seascapes. As biodiversity hotspots and carbon sinks, kelp forests play a vital role in marine health, making their restoration critical.
Through hands-on conservation, Tarevoktere has not only successfully restored over 3,000 square metres of kelp forest but has worked to address a larger societal challenge - public awareness.
In 2024, the organisation became a founding partner of NoMaRe (Norway Marine Restoration) and gained international recognition after being featured in BBC’s Blue Horizons and a French marine documentary by Deep Blue Productions. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway also joined a restoration dive.
Monthly restoration dives across Tromsø, Harstad and Lofoten have engaged local divers, while participation in environmental forums Trevare Festival and Arendalsuka has amplified advocacy efforts.
Tarevoktere’s work has shown that small-scale restoration efforts can create lasting ecological change and their methods could be applied to similar kelp-deforested regions worldwide.
Name: Peter Teye Busumprah
Organisation: Ocean Rock Base
Peter Teye Busumprah, CEO of Ocean Rock Base, has teamed technology with community engagement to tackle critical ocean challenges in Ghana and West Africa.
Through his leadership, Ocean Rock Base has developed a multifunctional ocean application that has ensured a community-driven approach to sustainable fisheries.
Bridging the gap between traditional knowledge and technological advancements, Busumprah has empowered local fishermen by equipping them with fish-mapping technology on their phones. Busumprah’s efforts have led to the creation of a Fisheries Atlas and Blue Carbon Biodiversity database, informing government policies on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Busumprah’s efforts have been instrumental in revitalising biodiversity along the Prampram coast, particularly through mangrove restoration and marine conservation initiatives, and it has led to the establishment of a locally managed MPA at Prampram Landing Beach. But his impact extends beyond Ghana, contributing to a regional network for sustainable fisheries management across West Africa.
In 2024, Ocean Rock Base brought the Fisheries Atlas to Cameroon, Sudan, Madagascar and Tunisia and Busumprah’s vision continues to drive Ocean Rock Base’s mission towards sustainable fisheries and ocean resilience across West Africa.
Name: Seaweed Social Business
Organisation: Yunus Thailand Foundation
The Seaweed Social Business initiative in Satun, Thailand, is a pioneering model for sustainable aquaculture, economic empowerment and climate resilience. Developed by Yunus Thailand, it promotes the cultivation of Caulerpa seaweed as a sustainable alternative to wild harvesting, providing a reliable income for women in coastal communities.
By implementing a closed-system cultivation model that prioritises reusing resources, the initiative enhances food security, supports marine biodiversity and combats environmental degradation.
Since its launch, the programme has trained 50 women across three subdistricts, creating low-cost cultivation kits and ensuring year-round harvests. The initiative also engages policymakers, organising the UK-ASEAN Seaweed Social Business Forum that advocates for sustainable aquaculture.
With strong governmental support and partnerships and an emphasis on community-led solutions, the Seaweed Social Business initiative is proving that sustainable aquaculture can drive change.
Future goals include expanding to 10 subdistricts in Thailand and integrating IoT technology for real-time seaweed monitoring. There are also pilot programmes in the Philippines and plans to scale across Southeast Asia and climate-vulnerable regions globally by 2027.
Innovation
Name: Automated Debris Imaging System (ADIS)
Organisation: The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is leading the fight against marine plastic pollution with cutting-edge technology designed to track and remove debris from the world's oceans. With millions of tonnes of plastic accumulating across marine environments, understanding the scale and movement of this pollution is crucial for effective intervention.
To tackle this challenge, The Ocean Cleanup developed the Automated Debris Imaging System (ADIS), an AI-powered sensor that enables vessels to map floating plastic in real-time. The compact, GoPro-sized device attaches to boats and continuously scans the ocean, identifying and recording plastic debris with geotagged time-stamped imagery. This data improves scientific understanding of plastic accumulation and helps inform targeted cleanup efforts.
Key achievements include the successful deployment of 20 ADIS sensors worldwide in partnership with research institutions. The Ocean Cleanup also earned an endorsement as a UN Ocean Decade Action and has collaborated with the Norwegian Environmental Agency to monitor plastic in coastal waters. With plans to scale ADIS globally and refine its AI capabilities and data processing, The Ocean Cleanup is shaping the future of ocean plastic monitoring and removal.
Name: Chris Goldblatt
Organisation: Fish Reef Project
Chris Goldblatt, founder of the Fish Reef Project, is pioneering marine habitat restoration through his innovative Sea Cave system, a scalable artificial reef technology designed to support biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
By creating stable structures for kelp and coral growth, the Sea Cave system helps to restore fragile marine ecosystems, bringing back fish, lobster and marine mammals. Each Sea Cave remains stable for up to 500 years and can be monitored using sonar imaging, ensuring transparency in carbon sequestration efforts.
Achievements include demonstrating rapid kelp growth within seven months and expanding Sea Cave deployments in Baha, Mexico, with new projects also underway in Senegal, California and Bangladesh.
A key strength of the Sea Cave project is its mission to provide economic incentives for marine conservation. Goldblatt has created a True Blue Carbon initiative, which integrates these artificial reefs into the blue carbon credit market and financially tracks biodiversity growth on restored reefs. Unlike complex carbon credit models, Blue Credit uses simple biomass calculations to ensure each credit represents a tangible increase in marine life.
True Blue Carbon Credits are now verified and listed on the ICROA-approved International Carbon Registry. Additionally, Fish Reef Project has launched a Blue Credit NFT system, tracking biodiversity growth on restored reefs and enabling sustainable marine conservation financing.
Name: Madison Stewart
Organisation: Project Hiu
Project Hiu, founded by Madison Stewart, is a shark conservation initiative that transforms traditional shark fishing into sustainable ecotourism.
It collaborates with fishermen to provide alternative livelihoods, reducing reliance on the shark fin trade.
Beyond employment alternatives, the initiative hopes to offer financial security while building a sense of pride among fishermen, involving them in research, shark tagging and marine conservation, demonstrating that economic stability is key to supporting conservation efforts. It works with scientists and conservationists and has prevented over 36 shark fishing expeditions, deployed 10 shark tracking tags, co-authored three scientific papers and tracked a tiger shark, Raisa, for 14,000 kilometres before being caught, identifying a key conservation hotspot.
Other achievements include expanding the ecotourism offering with eight more boats, filtering 64,000 litres of drinking water to provide drinking water for a fishing community and sponsoring students from shark fishing families.
Since its inception, Project Hiu has saved over 4,000 sharks while supporting marine research and tracking efforts. Recognised internationally, it promotes economic stability as a key to conservation success.
Science Impact
This award recognises the individual or research team that has made an original scientific contribution with a proven impact on sustainable ocean stewardship.
Name: Seahawk
Project: Superyacht conservation project and research
The 60-metre Perini Navi sailing yacht Seahawk and her crew have played a key role in initiatives that integrate marine research, conservation and community engagement across some of the world’s most ecologically significant marine environments. Led by Dr. Edy Setyawan of the Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia, and supported by YachtAid Global, Seahawk conducts groundbreaking studies with the aim to advance conservation science.
Focused on Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the initiative is conducting pioneering studies on reef manta rays and the endemic Raja Ampat epaulette shark, two species that are critical to the region’s marine biodiversity.
The efforts also extend to conservation projects in French Polynesia and the Solomon Islands, supporting a model where the yachting community actively contributes to ocean conservation. Using biologging, acoustic tracking and non-invasive observation, the team has identified key aggregation areas for reef manta rays, assessed tourism impacts and tracked the movements of rare shark species.
In 2024, Seahawk redeployed tiger shark tag receivers in the Tuamotus, ensuring two years of continuous data collection, and facilitated the establishment of a Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) in the Solomon Islands.
Beyond research, Seahawk actively engages in education, providing schools with learning tools and fostering ocean stewardship. By serving as a mobile research platform, it demonstrates how private yachts can significantly contribute to marine conservation and sustainable tourism.
Name: Sandra Bessudo
Organisation: Fundación Malpelo
Sandra Bessudo is a leading marine conservationist and founder of Fundación Malpelo, dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems in the Colombian Pacific. She has spearheaded scientific research and policy development, playing a crucial role in the region's conservation strategies.
Between 2021 and 2024, she led expeditions to study Navegador Seamount, a shallow seamount within the DNMI Yuruparí Marine Protected Area (MPA), identifying it as a biodiversity hotspot, particularly for scalloped hammerhead sharks. Rapid expansion had created challenges in enforcement and monitoring in the MPA, so in 2024, Bessudo was instrumental in updating its management plan, collaborating with Colombia’s National Parks Authority to secure a no-take zone over Navegador Seamount. She also facilitated stakeholder discussions to balance conservation with sustainable fishing.
Her work extends beyond Colombia, contributing to transboundary conservation efforts with Ecuador, Costa Rica and Panama to protect migratory species. Using cutting-edge technologies like satellite telemetry and environmental DNA, Bessudo ensures conservation policies are data-driven. Her efforts emphasise international cooperation, enforcement and community engagement to safeguard marine biodiversity for future generations.
Name: Dr Chiara Bertelli
Organisation: Project Seagrass, Swansea University
Dr. Chiara Bertelli is a marine scientist dedicated to seagrass restoration, a critical ecosystem that supports biodiversity, improves water quality and acts as a powerful carbon sink.
Despite their importance, seagrass meadows are rapidly declining due to climate change, coastal development and pollution. Restoration efforts have been going on for years, yet success rates remain inconsistent due to a lack of scientific understanding of optimal site selection and habitat resilience.
To tackle this, Dr. Bertelli has developed Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs), which use ecological and environmental data to identify optimal restoration sites, increasing success rates and long-term resilience.
Her work has directly influenced conservation policy, playing a key role in the development of Wales’ National Seagrass Action Plan and collaborating with Seagrass Network Cymru to drive policy change. She has also worked across the UK and Europe, applying her research to restoration efforts in the Baltic Sea and beyond.
Beyond research, Dr. Bertelli actively supports large-scale restoration projects, ensuring conservation initiatives are evidence-based, scalable and aligned with marine protection strategies. Her contributions are shaping seagrass recovery efforts worldwide, strengthening conservation policies and advancing climate resilience through carbon sequestration and habitat restoration.
Ocean Education
This award honours an individual or group that has made outstanding contributions to educating others about marine science and/or conservation.
Name: Ocean Literacy in Curriculum
Organisation: Young Environmentalists Programme Trust
The Ocean Literacy in Curriculum project, founded by Elsie Gabriel, aims to make marine education accessible and relevant for both coastal and urban schools in India. Recognised by the UNESCO Green Citizens Programme, this initiative equips students and communities with essential knowledge about ocean ecosystems, climate change and conservation strategies.
A key challenge in environmental education is the lack of structured ocean literacy, especially in urban schools where the ocean feels distant, and in coastal communities where scientific education on marine biodiversity is often limited. To bridge this gap, the project developed an interactive curriculum combining indigenous knowledge, scientific research, experiential learning, teacher training and digital tools.
In 2024, the project made significant strides, contributing to the Venice Declaration on Ocean Literacy, advocating for ocean education in global curricula and leading ocean literacy sessions at COP29. It also published the Ocean Literacy Book, now integrated into local school curricula and expanded adaptive diving training for disabled divers and indigenous communities. Additionally, the programme trains and supports divers to become ocean ambassadors, empowering them with conservation skills to protect marine habitats and raise awareness.
Through workshops, policy advocacy and hands-on conservation activities, the programme has influenced education policies and inspired youth participation in marine conservation.
Name: Encounter Edu
Project: Ocean literacy
Encounter Edu has significantly expanded ocean literacy education, reaching over 18.5 million students worldwide. Integrating technology into marine education has made real-time ocean science accessible through live expedition broadcasts and virtual reality experiences. Since 2014, nearly 500,000 students across 80 countries have engaged with Arctic research, coral reef studies and deep-sea exploration.
Working with more than 100 researchers from over 50 institutions, Encounter Edu ensures scientific accuracy in its programmes. Collaborations with leading organisations like Catlin Arctic Survey, Common Seas, Ocean Census and the Convex Seascape Survey strengthen its impact.
Beyond classroom learning, Encounter Edu has embedded ocean literacy into the UK’s National Curriculum, developing 177 curriculum-aligned lessons. It also co-authored UNESCO’s Blue Curriculum Toolkit, shaping global marine education policy. In 2024, its new classroom units on the ocean-climate nexus - the interconnected and vital relationship between the ocean and the Earth's climate system - blue carbon and nature-based climate solutions won a Teach Primary Award.
Recognising the gap in teacher confidence, Encounter Edu launched teacher training programmes in South East England to enhance ocean-climate education, ensuring ocean science becomes a core part of climate literacy worldwide.
Name: Il Mare a Scuola
Project: Ocean education initiative
Il Mare a Scuola is a national ocean education initiative by the MSC Foundation in partnership with Marevivo, aimed at integrating marine conservation awareness into Italy’s nautical institutes. The programme focuses on equipping future maritime professionals with sustainability knowledge and advocating for the Salvamare Law (Save the Sea Law), particularly Article 4, which seeks to make ocean education mandatory in Italian schools.
Since its launch, Il Mare a Scuola has engaged over 1,500 students and connected more than 100 institutions across four major Italian port cities. It combines interactive learning, policy advocacy and conservation work to foster young ocean stewards. A key achievement of the 2024 campaign was securing support from over 20 politicians for the Salvamare Law.
The initiative hosted a nationwide awareness campaign on board the motor yacht Patrizia, providing hands-on experiences like a bioacoustics lab and sustainability training. Looking ahead, Il Mare a Scuola aims to expand within Italy and collaborate with European marine education initiatives, ensuring long-term engagement with ocean literacy and conservation.
The winners of the Ocean Awards 2025 will be revealed in the June issue of BOAT International, on sale 8 May.
Read More/Everything you need to know about the Ocean Awards 2025