OceanLove Innovation Awards 2026 Open for Entries After Record Participation in 2025

The OceanLove Innovation Awards, organised by the global non-profit OceanLove, have opened applications for their third annual competition. The Awards invite innovators worldwide to submit ideas for products, tools, campaigns, or initiatives that contribute measurably to ocean conservation, including the protection of seas, marine resources, and ecosystems.

Aligned with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water), the Awards recognise a diverse range of contributors such as individuals, start-ups, community projects, educational institutions, NGOs, and other organisations whose work enhances ocean health and resilience.

Entries for the 2026 Awards are being accepted from 1 April until 31 August via the OceanLove website (www.oceanlove.news). The winners will be announced on 11 October 2026 at the third OceanLove Innovation Awards Ceremony, scheduled to take place at AltaSea in the Los Angeles harbour, USA.

The 2026 Awards feature three categories, each focusing on a critical aspect of ocean sustainability:

• The Wavemakers Award: Targeting educators, youth, and movements that spread awareness and hope through innovative approaches that extend beyond traditional lesson plans.
• The Living Sea Award: Celebrating innovations that protect and restore marine biodiversity and ecosystems, including species and habitats such as kelp forests, mangroves, plankton, corals, dolphins, and turtles.
• The Blue Circle Award: Recognising circular economy and pollution cleanup initiatives that restore ocean balance. Notably, submissions solely focused on clean-ups without innovation will not be considered.

Up to thirty promising applicants will be invited to participate in an online bootcamp in mid-September. This programme aims to enhance the impact, scalability, and feasibility of their ideas. Following the bootcamp, a panel of judges—comprising internationally respected scientists, activists, and social entrepreneurs—will select the winners, each receiving seed funding of 10,000 USD.

The 2025 edition saw a significant increase in participation, with 260 applications from 64 countries, more than tripling the number from 2024. Impressively, 80% of applicants were innovators from the Global South, making it the largest and most inclusive ocean conservation awards programme worldwide. The 2026 Awards aim to build on this momentum by further expanding their global reach and supporting early-stage, impact-driven ocean conservation ideas.

Ilco van der Linde, the Dutch founder of OceanLove, stated: “With the OceanLove Innovation Awards, we want to give these ideas a platform, connect them with partners, and provide the support they need to grow. Our third year is about scaling impact and making sure good ideas don’t stay on paper.”

The Awards are endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and supported by prominent global ambassadors. These include Dr Sylvia Earle, the renowned marine biologist and founder of Mission Blue; Paul Polman, a leading business figure and sustainability advocate; and Tatiana Mendes, a French-Cape Verdean–American athlete, freediver, and ocean advocate known for her work in the Global South. Dr Earle emphasises the urgency of ocean conservation with her statement: “People need to participate as if their lives depend on it — because they do.”

OceanLove collaborates with an expanding international network of partners and supporters, such as the Marine Biological Association (UK), ECHT Community, BrightVibes and Impact2Day (Netherlands), Mission Blue, AltaSea and Doer Marine (USA), AfriLabs and KMT House (Egypt), Sea Sense (Tanzania), Perempuan Indonesia Maju (Indonesia), and the MasterPeace Global Network.

Founded in 2021 by Ilco van der Linde and managed by Egyptian freediver Raghda Ezzeldin, OceanLove leverages a global network of ambassadors, judges, advisors, photographers, scientists, and activists to advance ocean conservation efforts. The Awards receive funding from Stichting Nieuwe Waarde and the OOF Foundation, enabling continued growth in participation and innovation.

The OceanLove Innovation Awards Ceremony rotates locations annually to symbolise global unity in ocean protection. After the inaugural event in The Hague (2024) and the second ceremony in Barcelona (2025), the 2026 ceremony will be held in Los Angeles, with Cairo planned for 2027.