The OceanLove Innovation Award, presented by the global non-profit initiative OceanLove, has returned for its second year.
Under the slogan “Because You Protect What You Love,” the award aims to encourage all creative minds worldwide to submit their ideas for new products, tools, campaigns or initiatives, that can measurably contribute to conserving the ocean, seas, marine resources and ecosystems.
The nomination period will run from April 1st to September 30, 2025 and applicants can submit their ideas on the OceanLove website. Winners will be revealed on November 4, 2025, during the second OceanLove Innovation Award Ceremony.
The OceanLove Innovation Award has been endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and famous ocean icon and new global OceanLove ambassador Dr. Sylvia Earle (89), also known as ‘Her Deepness’: “People need to participate as if their lives depend on it. Because it does!”.
People from all over the world have joined OceanLove as ambassadors to spread the word about the Award and use their network to encourage people from their country to apply. Nigerian OceanLove ambassador,
Anthony Akpan from the Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) explains: “The Ocean is the cornerstone for all life on Earth.”
Dutch OceanLove founder Ilco van der Linde stated: “Thanks to the successful first edition in 2024, with 86 quality applications from 37 countries, we know there are countless bright minds around the world that can
be mobilised to better protect our ocean. Within some years the OceanLove Innovation Award will definitely become the worlds biggest and most inclusive ocean innovation related project.”
The Team of Judges, containing globally esteemed scientists, activists and established social entrepreneurs,
will evaluate all submissions and select the top nominees based on several criteria including originality, impact, reach and feasibility. Up to 30 of the most promising ideas and participants will be pre-selected for an online bootcamp, where we will provide support to make their ideas more impactful, scalable and
feasible. After the bootcamp, the judges will select the winners, who will be revealed during the award ceremony in November 2025 and receive ‘seed money’ up to 10,000 Euro to realise their project.
Last year’s #1 winner Saad Abid (Morocco) stated: “The seed money and PR provided my idea a huge boost, and now
OceanLove also arranged a whole lab with technical engineers from their partner DOER Marine to guide me further!”.
