The Ocean is essential to life on Earth. It covers 71% of the surface of the planet and produces half of the oxygen we breathe. It absorbs 25% of the CO2 emissions, thus playing a key role in climate regulation. It is a precious source of solutions for human health: thirteen Nobel Prizes in medicine were awarded based on oceanic research. The Ocean is facing immense threats: climate change, overexploitation of its resources (fishing, mining, energy etc.), plastic pollution to name a few.

We can no longer ignore the Ocean’s health; it is urgent to take action. We believe there is still time to save them through technological, social and ecological innovation.

Goals

To support innovative applied research projects, worldwide, to:

• conserve marine biodiversity, protect and restore fragile marine ecosystems;
• find concrete solutions for the sustainable exploitation of marine resources;
• discover compounds (molecules, enzymes, virus, bacteria etc.), develop models or processes of medical interest for human health;
• increase knowledge of the Ocean and contribute to fighting climate change.

Three types of innovation are considered in the ambitious projects we support:

• Technological: underwater robots, environmental DNA, drones, ...
• Social: citizen science, community involvement, ...
• Ecological: bio-mimicry, nature-based solutions, protected marine areas, ....