OCEAN SOLUTIONS HUBS

Building community & collective action — all over the world.

Hubs are youth-led, action-oriented groups organized around regional locations or university affiliations that work together to promote ocean health and sustainability by implementing at least two annual projects—often with financial support from SOA's Grants Program.

Europe & Lusofonia

Representative: Eugénia Barroca

Eugenia, based in Portugal, manages a global network of youth that spans Europe and all Portuguese-speaking nations. 

Featured Hubs

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    SOA Campinas

    Campinas, Brazil

    Proyecto Transformar takes low-income youth on SCUBA diving expeditions that expose them to marine life in ways they never would be otherwise. With Microgrant support 65 students participated in 2021.

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    SOA Portugal

    Portugal

    SOA Portugal focuses on ocean literacy for as many people as possible, and to meet that goal they've created the Ocean Wide Web online course and related events and digital content. 

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    SOA France

    Paris, France

    SOA France is deeply involved in the #DefendTheDeep campaign and received a 2021 Microgrant for the Phoenix Expedition, a global sailing voyage to support blue carbon ecosystems. 

Hispanoamérica

Representative: Daniel Cáceres Bartra

This global community encompasses all Spanish-speaking nations, with over 20 Hubs Latin America. 

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    SOA Perú

    Lima, Peru

    SOA Perú led the creation of the first-ever online course for Spanish-speaking young ocean leaders, which involved over 30 expert speakers and 225 participants over the course of 2021. They also manage 7 Hubs in the coastal regions of Peru (Arequipa, Lambayeque, Ica, Moquegua, Piura, Tacna, and Ancash).

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    SOA Ecuador

    Guayaquil, Ecuador

    In 2021, Hub leader Janice organized environmental education events for children on Puná Island and El Salado mangrove, and through Microgrant support, organized a Hackathon for university students to develop solutions to marine pollution and unsustainable fishing.

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    SOA Argentina

    Buenos Aires, Argentina

    With the support of a 2021 Microgrant, Giuliana led the development of 2 podcast series (reaching over 13k people) focusing on wetland ecosystems and shark species of the Argentinian sea, and created a new website.

Asia 

Representative:  MJ Lamoste

Southeast Asia boasts a strong SOA presence with thousands of Ocean Leaders in Indonesia alone, and regular webinars in Malay and Indonesian.

Featured Hubs

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    Malaysia UMT

    Teremgganu, Malaysia

    Student exhibitors from UMT were awarded 2 gold medals for their work to spread awareness about South China Sea marine species through creative short videos. UMT also received a Migrogrant to upgrade their digital species repository.

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    SOA Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

    Leader Rainbow Leung focused 2021 Hub efforts on innovative education and activism to combat illegal wildlife trading, through means like interactive VR and sculptures of trafficked animals.

     

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    SOA Japan

    Tokyo, Japan

    The 2021 Ocean Day Forum hosted by SOA Japan brought together SOA Hub leaders from Japan, Tanzania, Hong Kong, and Peru to discuss local and trans-national ocean issues. 

Pacific Islands

Representative: Komal Kumar

Komal coordinates activities throughout the Pacific Islands including Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa and Vanuatu.

Featured Hubs

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    SOA Papua New Guinea

    Port Moresby, PNG

    A 2021 Microgrant supported Hub Leader Vinzealhar Nen to conduct interviews with village elders to compile traditional conservation methods, and then test them to rehabilitate 15 species.

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    SOA Australia

    Sydney, Australia

    Hub Leaders and young professionals Bella, a marine ecologist, and Heidi, a sustainability consultant host a regular environmental sustainability podcast sponsored by an SOA Microgrant. 

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    SOA Fiji

    Nadi, Fiji

    SOA Fiji hosted the 2nd annual Regional Youth Conference and associated mangrove planting and beach cleanups, involving youth from Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands and educating them on blue carbon solutions.

Africa

Representative: Forbi Perise

Forbi Perise was recognized as a 2021 EE 30 Under 30 by the North American Association for Environmental Education and received a 2021 Diana Award.

Featured Hubs

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    SOA Cameroon

    Buea, Cameroon

    Working closely with 600 fishermen in 4 coastal communities, SOA Cameroon performs awareness-raising and direct habitat conservation to protect endangered sea turtles

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    SOA Ghana

    Accra, Ghana

    Another 15 young Ghanaian journalists were trained in 2021 to report on environmental, publishing reports about marine pollution and sustainable fishing to influence IUU regulation in their Economic Exclusion Zones.

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    SOA Tanzania

    Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

    Over 5,000 people participated in Hub-led events in 2021 and an SOA Microgrant helped them remove 2.8 tonnes of waste from the Msimbazi river and train 20 youth to conduct seagrass restoration research.

North America

Representative: Mark Haver

In 2021, Hubs like University of Southern Mississippi and SOA Boston University led local waterway cleanups. University of Florida Hub received an SOA Microgrant to research pharmaceutical waste in nearby wetlands.

 

 

 

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    Amherst College

    Massachusetts, USA

    In 2021, the 168 members of SOA Amherst focused on local cleanups and single use plastic bans, and forged partnerships with the Association of Women in Science. 

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    University of Florida

    Florida, USA

    UF Hub hosted an incredible 10 events in 2021, and leader Ilana Farrel received a Microgrant to collect and analyze ecotoxicology samples in the Sweetwater Wetlands.

     



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    SOA University of Southern Mississippi

    Mississippi, USA

    Informed by a partnership with Piney Woods Conservation Group, USM Hub focuses on preserving the natural beauty of the Hattiesburge area through cleanups and speaking events.

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