A Sea of Solutions: Tackling Marine Challenges with Innovation

Jan 17, 2025

This week, we explore the potential of regenerative solutions for our oceans, from combating plastic pollution to enhancing marine biodiversity. Our Featured Article dives into the innovative work of Preserve, a Certified B Corporation transforming ocean plastics into everyday essentials. With initiatives like the Preserve Ocean Plastic Initiative (POPi), they exemplify how businesses can create meaningful environmental impact.

Our Essential Reads highlight advances shaping a sustainable future for our oceans, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s resilience-building initiatives, wave energy breakthroughs, and integrated aquaculture practices. Additionally, 2024’s top ocean news reveals both challenges—like record heat—and progress in ocean mapping and inclusive strategies.

In the Research Corner, we spotlight a study on robust action frameworks, revealing how collaborative innovation and diverse networks can scale solutions for ocean conservation. The findings emphasize the importance of sustained stakeholder engagement in tackling grand challenges.

Let’s delve into these stories and uncover how regenerative efforts are transforming our oceans for generations to come!

Announcing a new 3 day executive education program on Leading Regenerative Business at the Cambridge Judge Business School led by Christopher Marquis, click below for more information or feel free to email him directly with any questions!

Featured Article:

Turning Plastic Waste into Purpose

In a world grappling with an ocean plastic crisis, Preserve is turning the tide with innovation. My Forbes article, "How A Toothbrush Could Help Solve Our Ocean Plastic Crisis", spotlights how Eric Hudson, founded Preserve in 1996 to transform recycled materials into everyday essentials, a line-up that today including toothbrushes, razors and a variety of kitchen and food storage products. Hudson’s pioneering efforts birthed the Preserve Ocean Plastic Initiative (POPi), which repurposes plastics collected from coastlines into sustainable products, donating 25% of proceeds to organizations combatting plastic pollution.

This journey underscores the potential for regenerative solutions to tackle one of today’s most pressing global challenges. Importantly, as Hudson notes, these efforts are not just about products but about creating systems that are lighter on Earth.

Essential Reads:

Ocean Resilience Initiative

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) addresses rapidly changing oceans impacting U.S. marine and Great Lakes ecosystems. Leveraging advanced climate modeling, CEFI offers forecasts, risk assessments, and resilience strategies to support fisheries and coastal communities nationwide. Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, CEFI enables climate-informed decision-making for sustainable future planning.

2024’s Top Ocean News Highlights

Marine scientists and policy experts share the top ocean stories from 2024, including advances in mapping, legal strategies, and financial innovations for ocean protection. Major setbacks include record heat and global coral bleaching. Indigenous leadership and inclusive ocean planning emerge as critical themes for sustainable progress.

Harnessing Ocean Waves for Renewable Energy

The PacWave facility in Oregon pioneers converting ocean wave energy into clean power. With a $112.5 million U.S. Department of Energy investment, PacWave tests wave energy converters to generate steady, renewable electricity. Designed with community and environmental input, this innovation complements wind and solar for a sustainable energy future.

Integrated Aquaculture Success

The Moretti family of Bangs Island Mussels integrates mussels, oysters, and kelp farming in Maine’s Casco Bay. They utilize sustainable practices like integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) to combat ocean acidification and enhance water quality. Partnering with researchers, they demonstrate how co-raising shellfish and seaweed benefits the environment and supports growing consumer demand nationwide.

Purple Sea Urchin Solution

Purple sea urchins devastate Oregon’s kelp forests, critical carbon sinks and marine habitats. OoNee Sea Urchin Ranch combats this by harvesting and farming urchins for marketable uni, benefiting ecosystems and the seafood industry. Their innovative approach, including feeding trials and sustainable practices, supports kelp restoration while creating demand for this ocean delicacy.

Celebrating Atlantic Innovation

The 2024 Atlantic Project Awards honored a variety of projects for their contributions to marine renewable energy, coastal resilience, and international cooperation. These initiatives exemplify the Atlantic Action Plan 2.0’s priorities of environmental stewardship, stakeholder engagement, and decarbonization, paving the way for sustainable blue economy practices.

Indonesia-Tanzania Exchange Advances Blue Food Sustainability

WWF facilitated an exchange between Indonesia and Tanzania to promote sustainable "blue foods" and enhance marine ecosystem health. The collaboration highlighted seaweed farming, women-led microfinancing, and community-based marine management to support livelihoods, food security, and biodiversity conservation, fostering innovative, shared solutions across coastal communities.

Research Corner:

A study in the Journal of Management Studies explores how robust action—a framework encouraging diverse stakeholders to collaborate on innovative solutions—can address grand challenges like ocean conservation. By examining an award-winning crowdsourcing initiative, the authors demonstrate how robust action principles foster diverse networks and sustainable ideas. However, the research highlights the risks of losing momentum as actors and roles shift over time, emphasizing the importance of connecting ideas and stakeholders throughout the crowdsourcing phases. This work advances understanding of how robust action can scale impact over time.

The regenerative business practices and sustainability innovations highlighted in this week's Regenerative Insights directly tackle the critical issues of corporate responsibility explored in my recent book explored in my recent book, The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost.

Quick Takeaways:

Resilient ecosystems: Advanced modeling restores marine life and supports sustainable fisheries.
2024 highlights: Advances in mapping, legal strategies, and financial tools drive ocean regeneration.
Renewable energy: Wave energy powers sustainable solutions.
Sustainable aquaculture: Co-farming boosts ecosystems and seafood production.
Kelp revival: Tackling urchin overpopulation restores biodiversity.
Collaborative innovation: Global projects drive ocean regeneration.
Blue food solutions: Seaweed farming enhances biodiversity and security.

Regenerative Insights