Sea Forward Fund · Grant Recipients
Field-builders who make
ocean impact possible
Sea Forward Ocean Health Fund provides small, targeted grants to organizations doing the hands-on work of ocean education, science, and community stewardship.
© Sally Bartel
About the Grant Program
Science, education, and community action at the field level
Sea Forward Ocean Health Fund provides small grants to propel innovative programs and projects that support the ocean's biodiversity and ecosystem through science, education, and action. We favor well-defined, discrete projects so the impact of our grants can be measured and meaningfully assessed.
We also appreciate the opportunity to match project grants from other funders. Our 2023–2024 focus was the Coral Triangle Region of Indonesia — one of the planet's biodiversity hotspots for marine life. Our 2025–2026 focus area is Latin America.
A grants committee of ocean science and education professionals selects two to three projects or programs to fund each year.
Ongoing · Santa Barbara, CA
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management — UC Santa Barbara
Sea Forward supports graduate student internships at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, creating pathways into careers across the ocean impact ecosystem — from blue finance and impact investing to conservation, communications, and environmental science. Interns contribute to Sea Forward projects spanning impact reporting, strategy, event planning, and research on blended finance and the blue economy. Working closely with the Sea Forward team, students gain exposure to how capital, policy, and storytelling can advance ocean health. Past interns have gone on to launch successful careers in ocean conservation and sustainable finance.
2023–2024 · Rhun Island
Coral Triangle Center — Rhun Island Women's Waste Management
The Coral Triangle Center supports the Rhun Island women's group in developing a sustainable, community-based waste management system. This builds knowledge, skills, and capacity in waste management practices while improving facilities and empowering diverse groups including women, school children, village government, and local community members.
2024 · Northeast Sulawesi
Biosphere Foundation — Regeneration & Training for Indigenous Peoples
The Biosphere Foundation's flagship sailing yacht Mir sailed over 4,000 nautical miles through Northeast Sulawesi, training indigenous leaders in sustainability and ecological regenerative practices. The program incorporated a 'Semester at Sea' for Indonesian interns to learn seamanship, navigation, and coral stewardship — empowering remote island communities to steward their own coral reefs and implement food gardens in coastal villages.
First Matching Grant · Raja Ampat
Misool Foundation — Coral Reef Protection in Misool Marine Reserve
The Misool Foundation is dedicated to protecting coral reefs in Misool Marine Reserve, Raja Ampat, Indonesia. This was Sea Forward's first matching grant, supporting reef health and fish biomass studies that generate the science needed to protect and restore these irreplaceable ecosystems. Misool Resort and Misool Foundation together protect 300,000 acres of biodiverse ocean.
2025 — Presented by Hatch Blue & Conservation International Ventures
Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio
Sea Forward provided a grant to spotlight and support the incredible work being done by women entrepreneurs in the blue food space. The Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio supports female leaders launching and growing blue food companies across the globe — addressing a critical gap: female-founded businesses receive less than 3% of venture capital funding annually. Focus areas include sustainable aquaculture and seafood, ocean conservation and regeneration, and enabling tools and technology.
Support the Field
The ocean economy needs both grants and investments — working in concert, each creating the conditions the other needs to thrive. Join Sea Forward and help us reach the next generation of ocean field-builders.