Grantmaking

There are many outstanding conservation organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving our ocean. The Ocean Foundation provides assistance to these entities, which have a need to develop certain skills or competence, or for general upgrading of performance ability. The Ocean Foundation was created in part to bring new financial and technical resources to the table so that we can increase the capacity of these organizations to pursue their missions.

Grogenics AG | $20,000
Grogenics will conduct a pilot project to harvest sargassum and create organic compost to regenerate soil in St. Kitts.

Resiliencia Azul A.C. | $142,444
Resiliencia Azul will certify the Taab Ché Project for the Yum Balam and Cozumel pilot sites, thus achieving the first voluntary blue carbon market in Mexico, focusing on two property of land types: social (ejidos) and private lands with mangrove ecosystems. Both avoided emissions credits and credits derived from restoration (carbon sequestration) projects will be included on Plan Vivo Standard.

Centro de Investigación Oceano Sustentable Limitada | $7,000
Centro de Investigación Oceano Sustentable Limitada will produce a quality report containing the scientific basis to advance a High Seas MPA in Salas y Gomez and Nazca submarine ridges and submit the report to the Scientific Committee of the SPRFMO for consideration.

Grogenics AG | $20,000
Grogenics will conduct organic carbon soil sampling in Miches, Dominican Republic.

Global Island Partnership (via Micronesia Conservation Trust) | $35,000
Global Island Partnership will hold two Island Bright Spots in its event series that showcases successful solutions to island resilience and sustainability resulting from community partnership.

Vieques Conservation & Historical Trust | $62,736
Vieques Conservation & Historical Trust will conduct habitat restoration and conservation efforts in the Puerto Mosquito Bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico.

Wildland Conservation Trust | $25,000
Wildland Conservation Trust will support the organization of the African Ocean Youth Summit. The Summit will highlight the benefits of marine protected areas; mobilize an African youth movement to catalyse support for the global 30×30 drive; expand the reach of the Youth4MPA network across Africa; build capacity, learning and knowledge sharing for youth across African youth groups; and contribute to an African movement of “environmentally active and conscious youth” leading to citizen action through the innovative use of social media platforms.

Center for the Conservation and Biological Development of Samana and its Surroundings (CEBSE) | $1,000
CEBSE will use this general support grant to further its mission of “achieving the conservation and sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources of the region of Samaná” in the Dominican Republic.

Fabián Pina Amargós | $8,691
Fabian Pina will conduct research on Cuban sawfish populations through community-based interviews and a tagging expedition.

Grogenics SB, Inc. | $20,000
Grogenics will conduct a pilot project to harvest sargassum and create organic compost to regenerate soil in St. Kitts.

Grogenics SB, Inc. | $20,000
Grogenics will conduct a pilot project to harvest sargassum and create organic compost to regenerate soil in St. Kitts.

Isla Nena Composta Incorporado | $1,000
Isla Nena Composta Incorporado will use this general support grant to further its mission of creating agricultural quality compost at the municipal level in Puerto Rico.

Mujeres de Islas, Inc. | $1,000
Mujeres de Islas, Inc. will use this general support grant to further its mission to “identify resources, strengthen initiatives, and create projects that contribute to sustainable development through the Culture of Peace and transformative Education, having an impact on Emotional Health, Cultural, Environmental, and Socioeconomic Development of Culebra,” Puerto Rico.

SECORE International, Inc. | $224,166
SECORE will build off its success in Bayahibe and expand the coral restoration work to Samaná, along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

University of Guam Endowment Foundation | $10,000
University of Guam will use these funds to support the fifth Climate Strong Islands Network gathering. Through biannual gatherings, public policy advocacy, working groups, and ongoing education opportunities, the Climate Strong Island Network works to expand U.S. islands’ resources to support their capacity to mitigate the impact of extreme climate events.

Friends of Palau National Marine Sanct. | $15,000
Friends of Palau National Marine Sanctuary will use these funds to support the 2022 Our Ocean Conference in Palau.

HASER | $1,000
HASER will use this general support grant to further its mission to “build a network of local actions that share resources and responsibilities to stimulate equity and quality of life and potentiate change” in Puerto Rico.

Hawaii Local2030 Islands Network Hub | $25,000
Hawaii Local2030 Hub will support the Local2030 Islands Network, “the world’s first global, island-led peer-to-peer network devoted to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through locally driven solutions. The Network provides a peer-to-peer for engagement amongst and between islands to share experiences, spread knowledge, raise ambition, promote solidarity, and identify and implement best practice solutions.”

Rewilding Argentina | $10,000
Rewilding Argentina will restore Gracilaria Gracilis Prairie in Argentine Coastal Patagonia.

SECORE | $1,000
SECORE will research and implement innovative tools and techniques that upscale coral restoration efforts, increase coral larval survival rates, continue our on-site training programs, and help this endangered resource build resilience through outplanting efforts that focus on genetic diversification and adaptability.

Smithsonian Institution | $42,783
Smithsonian Institution will conduct environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses of mangrove forests in Puerto Rico to determine how fish communities return to mangrove systems under restoration. This will be critical in setting expectations for coastal communities as to when fisheries benefits may return, in addition to the return of ecologically important species which have implications to mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef ecosystems.

The Trustees of Reservations | $50,000
Program partners will conduct the Great Marsh Blue Carbon Feasibility Study by evaluating the potential benefits and considerations of developing a carbon offset project to help fund restoration (and long-term management) at the Great Marsh in Massachusetts on Trustees properties. It is also envisioned that the project could be expanded over time to incorporate additional lands and landowners at the Great Marsh.

University of Guam Endowment Foundation | $25,000
University of Guam will use these funds to support the sixth and seventh Climate Strong Islands Network gatherings. Through biannual gatherings, public policy advocacy, working groups, and ongoing education opportunities, the Climate Strong Island Network works to expand U.S. islands’ resources to support their capacity to mitigate the impact of extreme climate events.

For many of us, our first interest in the ocean began with an interest in the large animals that call it home. Whether it be the awe inspired by a gentle humpback whale, the undeniable charisma of a curious dolphin, or the ferocious gaping maw of a great white shark, these animals are more than just the ambassadors of the sea. These apex predators and keystone species keep the ocean ecosystem in balance, and the health of their populations often serve as an indicator for the health of the ocean as a whole.

Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO) | $20,000
ICAPO and its local partners will continue to expand and improve hawksbill research, conservation, and awareness at Bahia and Padre Ramos, as well as at two new important nesting beaches recently identified in Mexico (Ixtapa) and Costa Rica (Osa). The group will incentivize local community members to monitor nesting females and protect hawksbill nests and eggs, thus aiding the recovery of the species while providing socioeconomic benefits to these impoverished communities. In-water monitoring will continue to generate data on hawksbill survival, growth rates, and potential recovery of the population.

Universitas Papua | $25,000
Universitas Papua will monitor nesting activity of all species of marine turtles at Jamursba Medi and Wermon, protect 50% or more total leatherback nests by employing science-based nest protection methods to increase hatchling production, establish a presence within local communities for support and services linked to leatherback conservation incentives, and help build capacity of the UPTD Jeen Womom Coastal Park.

The Marine Mammal Center | $1,420.80
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for The Marine Mammal Center’s mission to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.

Noyo Center for Marine Science | $1,420.80
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for Noyo Center for Marine Science’s educational programs to inspire ocean conservation.

Fundação Pro Tamar | $20,000
Fundação Pro Tamar will maintain sea turtle conservation efforts and engage community participation at the Praia do Forte station during the loggerhead nesting season 2021-2022. This will include monitoring nesting beaches, providing local community participation in educational program “Tamarzinhos” at Visitor Center at Praia do Forte, and community-based outreach and awareness.

Dakshin Foundation | $12,500
Dakshin Foudation will continue its ongoing leatherback sea turtle monitoring and nest protection program in Little Andaman and reinitiate the monitoring camp in Galathea, Great Nicobar Island. In addition, it will translate existing manuals and other resources into local languages, expand its education and outreach programs for schools and local communities, and continue to conduct capacity-building workshops at multiple field sites for the frontline staff of the Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department.

University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Unit | $2,841.60
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for the mission of the University of British Columbia’s Marine Mammal Research Unit to conduct research to enhance marine mammal conservation and reduce conflicts with human uses of our shared oceans.

The Marine Mammal Center | $1,185.68
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for The Marine Mammal Center’s mission to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.

Noyo Center for Marine Science | $755.25
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for Noyo Center for Marine Science’s educational programs to inspire ocean conservation.

The Marine Mammal Center | $755.25
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for The Marine Mammal Center’s mission to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.

University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Unit | $2,371.35
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for the mission of the University of British Columbia’s Marine Mammal Research Unit to conduct research to enhance marine mammal conservation and reduce conflicts with human uses of our shared oceans.

Josefa M. Munoz | $2,500
Josefa Munoz, recipient of the 2022 Boyd Lyon Sea Turtle Scholarship, will contemporaneously use satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis (SIA) to identify and characterize key foraging areas and migration routes used by green turtles that nest in the U.S. Pacific Islands Region (PIR). Two objectives that will guide this research include: (1) determining green turtle foraging hotspots and migration paths and (2) validating the SIA method for locating the associated feeding areas.

Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO) | $14,000
ICAPO and its local partners will continue to expand and improve hawksbill research, conservation, and awareness at Bahia and Padre Ramos beaches, as well as at secondary beaches identified in Ecuador and Costa Rica. The team will hire and provide incentives to local community members to monitor nesting females and protect hawksbill nests and eggs and continue in-water monitoring at Bahia and Padre Ramos to generate important information on hawksbill survival, growth, and potential recovery rates.

The Marine Mammal Center | $453.30
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for The Marine Mammal Center’s mission to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.

University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Unit | $906.60
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for the mission of the University of British Columbia’s Marine Mammal Research Unit to conduct research to enhance marine mammal conservation and reduce conflicts with human uses of our shared oceans.

University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Unit | $1,510.50
North Coast Brewing Company provides regular general support for the mission of the University of British Columbia’s Marine Mammal Research Unit to conduct research to enhance marine mammal conservation and reduce conflicts with human uses of our shared oceans.

There are many outstanding conservation organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving our ocean. The Ocean Foundation provides assistance to these entities, which have a need to develop certain skills or competence, or for general upgrading of performance ability. The Ocean Foundation was created in part to bring new financial and technical resources to the table so that we can increase the capacity of these organizations to pursue their missions.

Inland Ocean Coalition | $5,000
IOC will use this grant to support its 10th Anniversary Masquerade Mermaid Ball to take place on September 23, 2021.

Black In Marine Science | $2,000
Black In Marine Science will maintain its YouTube channel which broadcasts videos from Black marine scientists to spread environmental awareness, and inspire the next generation of scientific thought leaders.

SurfearNegra, Inc. | $2,500
SurfearNegra will use this general support grant to support its 100 Girls! Program, which has a goal of sending 100 girls of color to attend surf camp in their local communities–100 more girls to understand both the thrill & peace of the ocean. These funds will sponsor seven girls.

African Marine Environment Sustainability Initiative | $1,500
AFMESI will use this grant to support its third Symposium titled “African Blue World–Which Way to Go?” The event will bring together both a physical and online audience from across Africa to build knowledge and galvanize systemic policies and instruments for the development of the African Blue Economy. Funding will help settle fees for resource persons, feeding of guests at the event, live streaming, etc.

Save The Med Foundation | $6,300
Save The Med Foundation will direct these funds to support its program, “A Network for Marine Protected Areas” in the Balearic Islands through which STM identifies optimal MPA sites, collects survey data, develops science-based proposals for the creation and managements of MPAs and engages the local communities and stakeholders in educational and marine custody initiatives for the lasting protection of the MPAs.

The Pacific Community | $86,250
The Pacific Community will serve as a regional training hub for ocean acidification for the broader Pacific Islands community. This is part of a larger project that seeks to build capacity in the Pacific Islands to monitor and respond to ocean acidification through the distribution of equipment, training, and ongoing mentorship.

University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus | $5,670.00
University of Puerto Rico will conduct local interviews to create a preliminary assessment of social vulnerability to ocean acidification in Puerto Rico and for preparing for a regional, multi-disciplinary workshop.

Andrey Vinnikov | $19,439
Andrey Vinnikov will gather and analyze available scientific materials about the distribution and amount of macrobenthos and megabenthos in the Chukchi and the northern Bering Seas to identify potential Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems. The project will focus particular attention on key species of bottom-dwelling invertebrates that are most vulnerable to the impact of bottom trawling.

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation | $2,000
The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation will lead efforts to rehabilitate the southeast region of Mauritius affected by the MV Wakashio oil spill.

AIR Centre | $5,000
AIR Centre will support a symposium in July 2022 in the Azores related to novel, out-of-the-box ways to think about ocean observation with a small (30) and highly inter-disciplinary group of technologists and scientists from the U.S. and Europe from diverse disciplinary and geographic areas.

Duke University | $2,500
Duke University will use this grant to support the Oceans@Duke Blue Economy Summit to be held March 18-19, 2022.

Green 2.0 | $5,000
Green 2.0 will use this general support grant to further its mission to increase racial and ethnic diversity in environmental causes through transparency, objective data, best practices, and research.

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) | $1,000
ICOMOS will use this grant to support its Culture-Nature Initiatives, which “recognise the interconnections between cultural and natural heritage and rethink how we can protect culture and nature through a comprehensive approach with local communities. Through integrated protection, management and sustainable development of our heritage places, Culture-Nature initiatives build resilience to today’s challenges of climate change, pollution and rapid urbanisation.”

Rachel’s Network | $5,000
Rachel’s Network will use this grant to support its Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award, a program that provides women environmental leaders of color with a $10,000 prize; networking opportunities; and public recognition within the environment, philanthropic, and women’s leadership communities. The Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award celebrates women of color who are building a healthier, safer, and more just world.

Ana Veronica Garcia Condo | $5,000
This grant from the Pier2Peer fund supports collaboration between the mentor (Dr. Sam Dupont) and mentees (Dr. Rafael Bermúdez and Ms. Ana García) to determine the effect of a broad range of CO2-driven acidification on the sea urchin E. galapagensis during embryonic and larval development.

Sandino Iyarzabal Gamez Vazquez | $3,5000
Sandino Gámez will create and share content regarding social advocacy for environmental protection, local economy, and education/capacity building of the daily lives of protagonists of change in the community of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

UNESCO | $5,000
UNESCO will conduct a variety of tasks related to the implementation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development which will provide a common framework to ensure that ocean science can fully support actions to sustainably manage the ocean and contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Alexander Pepelyaev | $15,750
Alexander Pepelyaev will maintain a residence in Tallinn, Estonia in order to elaborate a specific way of creating dance, visual, and social content on stage. The residence will be completed with a contemporary dance/AR performance produced in collaboration with Von Krahl theatre.

Evgeniya Chirikonva | $6,000
This grant will support Evgeniya Chirikonva, an environmental activist from Kazan, Russia who is currently in Turkey due to political risk and persecution related to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Hana Curak | $5,500
Hana Curak will complete a study visit to the U.S. (specifically Detroit, Dayton, and New York) in representation of Sve su to vjestice, a platform for identification and subversion of patriarchal particularities in the everyday. The digital knowledge production component is complemented by analog advocacy and coaching activities.

Mark Zdor | $25,000
Mark Zdor will provide environmental and Indigenous communities in Alaska and Chukotka with information to maintain a common ground for dialogue. The project will ensure connections between stakeholders focused on marine stewardship and conservation by disseminating information through social media, a news review, and connecting people on both sides of the Bering Strait.

Thalia Theater | $20,000
Thalia Theater will support an artistic residency in Hamburg, Germany, by the Russian choreographers Evgeny Kulagin and Ivan Estegneev who have joined together in the organization Dance Dialogue. They will put together a program that can then be shown at the Thalia Theater.

Vadim Kirilyuk | $3,000
This grant will support Vadim Kirilyuk, an environmental activist from Chita, Russia who is currently in Georgia due to political risk and persecution. Mr. Kirilyuk works for Living Steppe, whose mission is to conserve biodiversity through wildlife conservation and enlarge protected areas.

Valentina Mezentseva | $30,000
Valentina Mezentseva will provide direct first aid to marine mammals to free them from plastic debris, especially from fishing gear. The project will expand a system for marine mammal rescue in the Russian Far East. The project will contribute to environmental awareness in the Russian Far East focused on conservation of marine ecosystems.

Viktoriya Chilcote | $12,000
Viktoriya Chilcote will distribute reports and updates about salmon research and conservation to Russian and American scientists and salmon conservationists. The project will create new pathways to sustain the flow of scientific knowledge about salmon across the Pacific, despite political challenges that inhibit direct cooperation.

Dr. Benjamin Botwe | $1,000
This honorarium recognizes the effort and time as a BIOTTA Focal Point for the first year of the BIOTTA project, which includes providing input during coordination meetings; recruiting relevant early career professionals, technicians, and government officials for specific training activities; engaging in national field and laboratory activities; using the tools provided in training to lead the development of national ocean acidification monitoring plans; and reporting to the BIOTTA lead.

The Ocean Foundation – Keep Loreto Magical | $1,407.50
The Ocean Foundation’s Keep Loreto Magical program will support a Biologist and two Park Rangers for the Loreto Bay National Park for two years.

The Ocean Foundation – Keep Loreto Magical | $950
The Ocean Foundation’s Keep Loreto Magical program will support a Biologist and two Park Rangers for the Loreto Bay National Park for two years.

The Ocean Foundation – Keep Loreto Magical | $2,712.76
The Ocean Foundation’s Keep Loreto Magical program will support a Biologist and two Park Rangers for the Loreto Bay National Park for two years.

The Ocean Foundation – Keep Loreto Magical | $1,749.46
The Ocean Foundation’s Keep Loreto Magical program will support a Biologist and two Park Rangers for the Loreto Bay National Park for two years.

One of the most significant barriers to progress in the marine conservation sector is a lack of real understanding about the vulnerability and connectivity of ocean systems. It is easy to think of the ocean as a vast, almost unlimited source of food and recreation with abundant animals, plants, and protected spaces. It can be difficult to see the destructive consequences of human activities along the coast and below the surface. This lack of awareness creates a significant need for programs that effectively communicate how the health of our ocean relates to climate change, the global economy, biodiversity, human health, and our quality of life.

Magothy River Association | $871.50
Magothy River Association will partner with The Ocean Foundation for a Chesapeake Bay-wide implementation of the social marketing campaign, “For a Healthy Bay, Let Grasses Stay,” with a goal of improving recreational boater behavior in the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Arundel Rivers Federation | $871.50
Arundel Rivers Federation will partner with The Ocean Foundation for a Chesapeake Bay-wide implementation of the social marketing campaign, “For a Healthy Bay, Let Grasses Stay,” with a goal of improving recreational boater behavior in the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Havre de Grace Maritime Museum | $871.50
Havre de Grace Maritime Museum will partner with The Ocean Foundation for a Chesapeake Bay-wide implementation of the social marketing campaign, “For a Healthy Bay, Let Grasses Stay,” with a goal of improving recreational boater behavior in the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Severn River Association | $871.50
Severn River Association will partner with The Ocean Foundation for a Chesapeake Bay-wide implementation of the social marketing campaign, “For a Healthy Bay, Let Grasses Stay,” with a goal of improving recreational boater behavior in the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Downeast Institute | $2,500
Downeast Institute will continnue its work with nine partner communities on its Clam Recruitment Monitoring Network spanning the coast of Maine. This network measures soft-shell clam and other shellfish recruitment and survival at two flats in each of nine towns from Wells in southern Maine to Sipayik (at Pleasant Point) in eastern Maine.

Little Cranberry Yacht Club | $2,676.37
Little Cranberry Yacht Club provides discounted class fees for local Cranberry Isles families in order to reduce barriers to on-water recreation and build stronger community connections. The Island Kids Program provides automatic half-priced class fees for all local, year-round residents of the community without the need for financial aid applications. This program will allow for inquiry-based, on-water, active learning and recreating in this beautiful coastal setting to be part of every local kid’s summer experience in this community.