Marine biologist Matt Sharp was awarded the Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year in 2020 for his incredible images, such as this one of a wave breaking in the Maldives in 2019
Marine life is threatened by climate change, pollution and overfishing. And depleted oceans risk collapsing the whole global ecosystem. A new generation of business startups is aiming to reshape the ocean economy, making it both truly sustainable and profitable. Michael Marshall reports
The blue economy is gaining momentum. Hundreds of startup companies around the world are aiming to protect, and even restore, the oceans, while making a profit. They want to get food and other essential resources from the sea in ways that benefit marine life ? or at least don?t harm it. What?s more, there are plenty of organisations that aim to support these startups, whether with money or expertise or both. Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine
?We are not going to save the oceans if we don?t change the economy,? says Tiago Pitta e Cunha, the CEO of the Oceano Azul Foundation, a Portuguese non-profit that supports a variety of initiatives designed to stimulate the growth of the sustainable blue economy. The good news is that the business case for ocean conservation is real and growing. ?There?s a wonderful opportunity for startups and new companies to develop business models,? says John Virdin, director of the Oceans & Coastal Policy Programme at Duke University?s Nicholas School of the Environment in Du...