The UK government is expanding its support for locally led marine conservation, announcing £14 million in new funding for community projects through the second round of the Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Grants Programme
The funding builds on the success of the OCEAN programmes’ first round, launched in 2024, which supports coastal communities to protect marine ecosystems while strengthening livelihoods in some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
Results from the first funding round
Since the first OCEAN projects were announced at COP29 in November 2024, communities have made rapid progress. In just one year, funded projects have protected and restored more than 93,000 hectares of critical marine and coastal ecosystems.
OCEAN projects have focused on tackling pollution at source, improving sustainable fishing practices, and ensuring local people play a role in managing marine resources. By strengthening community leadership and decision-making, OCEAN aims to deliver long-term environmental and economic benefits.
In Bangladesh, the FISHNET project has helped lay the foundations for the country’s first community-managed Marine Protected Area. The initiative has organised around 20,000 people from marginalised fishing communities into local groups, whose elected leaders now engage directly with government authorities on marine resource management. This approach is helping previously excluded groups influence decisions that affect their livelihoods and environment.
In Northern Mozambique, a project supported by the Zoological Society of London is working to establish a network of 20 Locally Managed Marine Areas along 450 kilometres of coastline in Nampula province. The initiative supports biodiversity recovery, improves resilience to coral bleaching, and strengthens the management of fish stocks that local communities rely on. Training for oyster farmers has already resulted in the sustainable cultivation of more than 112,000 oysters.
Launching OCEAN round two
The second round of OCEAN funding continues the programme’s focus on locally led solutions to local challenges. New projects span marine conservation, sustainable livelihoods and pollution reduction, with an emphasis on inclusion and innovation.
In Ecuador, the Illuminar el Mar project is reducing the accidental capture of turtles, sharks, rays and whales in small-scale gillnet fisheries. By fitting nets with green LED lights, the project has reduced bycatch by up to 73 percent. The initiative is also developing new battery-free lighting technology and providing training opportunities for women, young people, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups.
In the Philippines, two projects are tackling plastic pollution at the community level. Eco Kolek is expanding its inclusive waste recovery system to reach 12,000 households and small businesses across Palawan and neighbouring islands. The project is expected to divert around 1,100 tonnes of plastic away from landfill and the ocean.
Resiklo Machine Shop is rolling out solar-powered recycling hubs that enable communities to transform marine and household plastic waste into durable products for local use and sale.
Why OCEAN Matters
Despite its role in regulating the climate, supporting biodiversity and sustaining livelihoods, the ocean receives less than one per cent of global Official Development Assistance. Coastal communities on the frontline of climate change often lack the resources needed to protect the marine environments they depend on for food, income and protection from extreme weather.
Through OCEAN, funding is used to pilot and scale community-driven approaches that build local capacity, deliver practical solutions and generate learning that can be shared internationally. Updates on Round Two projects will be published on the OCEAN website as implementation progresses.
