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Ocean Funding Opportunities

Ocean Funding Opportunities

A running list of open grants, fellowships, awards and contests for ocean and coastal work, sorted by closing date. Every entry has been checked against the funder’s own page. Deadlines and amounts are as published by the funder; confirm both before you apply.

Last updated: 21 September 2026.

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Closing in September 2026

California Ocean & Coastal Amateur Photography Contest

Deadline: 30 September 2026 (5:00pm)
Amount: Not applicable (free-entry recognition contest, no cash award)

The California Coastal Commission’s annual amateur photography contest pays tribute to the state’s coast and ocean, honours the diversity of wildlife they support, and celebrates coastal access for all. Entries may feature any of three subjects: the scenic California coast and Pacific Ocean, the people of the California coast, and California ocean and coastal wildlife. Entry is free and open to all amateur photographers, defined as those earning less than half their income from photography, and images must be taken in California and show native species in natural settings. Marine mammals must be photographed from 50 yards or more. Questions about entries go to Lauren.Dung@coastal.ca.gov.

Sea-Changers Main Grants, autumn round

Deadline: 30 September 2026
Amount: GBP 500 to 2,500

Sea-Changers is a UK marine conservation charity making one-off grants to UK-based charities, not-for-profit organisations, and schools for conservation and research projects. Projects must address the root causes of marine conservation threats in the UK, prevent or reduce negative impacts on UK coastal and marine environments or species, or add to the body of knowledge about UK marine conservation challenges. The charity states a particular interest in grassroots projects that galvanise community action. The Main Grants programme runs two rounds a year, closing 31 March and 30 September, and a separate Small Grants fund of up to GBP 500 is open continuously with rolling review.

Ocean Image Collection Photography Competition 2026

Deadline: 30 September 2026
Amount: Prizes awarded in each category (values not stated on the call page)

The Marine Biological Association is inviting photographers from around the world to enter a global showcase of ocean imagery covering marine and coastal environments, ocean processes and change, marine species and biodiversity, and human connections with the ocean. Images may be taken above or below the water and can be documentary, observational, or interpretive in style. The competition is open to photographers of all ages and levels of experience in two categories, one for MBA members and one for the public, with winning and shortlisted images chosen through a combination of expert review and MBA member voting. Selected images form the Ocean Image Collection, featured across MBA platforms, and entries from under-18s must be submitted by a parent or guardian. Copyright stays with the photographer, but entrants grant the MBA permission to use their work for promotional purposes, including its seasonal card and The Marine Biologist magazine.

Closing in October 2026

Stephenson Exploration Advancement (SEA) Program, 2027 field season

Deadline: 2 October 2026 (18:00 ET)
Amount: USD 10,000

The Philip Stephenson Foundation and The Explorers Club fund exploration and field research for marine exploration and conservation projects, aimed at work that expands knowledge and makes a tangible difference for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Eligible applicants are college undergraduates, graduate students, and independent explorers conducting fieldwork focused specifically on marine research. Two letters of support must be submitted through the application form itself, and applications missing both letters are not reviewed. Applicants are asked to state the status of any required permits and to flag anticipated ethical concerns up front. The Club cannot consider proposals for work conducted in China or by Chinese citizens.

Fulbright-National Geographic Award Program, 2027 to 2028 competition

Deadline: 6 October 2026 (17:00 ET, the Fulbright US Student Program national deadline)
Amount: Up to USD 20,000 in additional grant funds, on top of standard Fulbright Study or Research benefits

The Fulbright Program and the National Geographic Society jointly fund a cohort of up to five individuals each year, adding money and resources to an existing Fulbright US Student Program experience. Proposals are sought across science, education, and storytelling, examining a globally relevant issue as an enhancement to the applicant’s Fulbright Open Study or Research project, and must align with one or more of the Society’s six focus areas, of which Ocean is one. This is an enhancement award rather than a standalone grant, so recipients must first be selected for a Fulbright Study or Research grant by the country they applied to. To be considered, applicants mark “Yes” to the National Geographic question inside the Fulbright application; semi-finalists are then invited to submit additional materials in late January or early February 2027.

Ferris Olson Family Foundation for Ocean Stewardship (FOFFOS)

Deadline: 12 October 2026
Amount: Varies by project

The Ferris Olson Family Foundation for Ocean Stewardship is accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. Established in 2022 as a 501(c)(3) charitable giving foundation, FOFFOS awards annual grants to organisations working in ocean and coastal conservation. Applicants must hold 501(c)(3) status. Applications are reviewed and awarded by the FOFFOS board on merit.

BCDC 2026 Photography Contest

Deadline: 14 October 2026
Amount: Not applicable (recognition and in-kind prizes only)

The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is running its inaugural photography contest, inviting photographs of the plants, wildlife, landscapes, and people of San Francisco Bay and Suisun Marsh. Entry is free and open to photographers of all ages regardless of where they live, with up to five photographs per entrant across five categories: Bay and wetland flora, Bay and wetland fauna, our public shoreline, scenes of the Bay, and a young photographers category open only to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. All photographs must be taken within the San Francisco Bay or Suisun Marsh region and must be the entrant’s original work; artificial intelligence and heavily manipulated images are prohibited, while minimal colour correction, exposure adjustment, and cropping are permitted. Judges select one winner per category, and winners and honourable mentions are announced in late October. BCDC commissioners and staff are not eligible.

Blue Action Fund: Mangroves, Blue Carbon Markets, and 30×30 in Asia

Deadline: 16 October 2026
Amount: EUR 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 per project; total funding envelope up to EUR 17,000,000

Blue Action Fund is inviting grant applications from NGOs and NGO consortia for projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, or India that combine protected area or OECM establishment and improved management with mangrove protection, restoration and sustainable use, and a credible pathway towards high-integrity blue carbon crediting. Projects must cover a minimum of 1,000 hectares of mangrove conservation or restoration, run for five years or less, and build on documented pre-feasibility or feasibility assessments; purely conceptual proposals are not eligible. Applicants must provide match funding of at least 25 per cent of total project costs and secure endorsement from the relevant national authority. Applications are submitted by email to grants@blueactionfund.org.

Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund

Deadline: 21 October 2026 (23:59 EDT) for full proposals
Amount: Up to USD 11,000,000 across the programme

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, is seeking proposals for marine debris assessment, removal, and disposal in coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, and South Carolina affected by Hurricanes Idalia, Helene, and Milton and by Typhoon Mawar. The 2023 and 2024 hurricane and typhoon seasons left large aggregations of debris and many displaced vessels, posing hazards to navigation, commercial fishing grounds, and sensitive habitats. Proposals should set out how the project will prevent further damage to coastal habitats and species and reduce the impacts of debris on communities, infrastructure, assets of economic and cultural importance, or navigation safety. Priority goes to projects with clear removal and disposal outcomes and coordination with the relevant state or territorial marine debris agency.

Ocean Exploration and Discovery Request for Proposals

Deadline: 21 October 2026
Amount: Up to USD 20,000

The National Geographic Society, in partnership with Schmidt Ocean Institute, is recruiting early career scientists who can lead ship-based research projects aboard SOI’s Falkor (too) research vessel in 2027 to 2028, when it will traverse the west and south coast of the African continent. The grant covers travel and project-related costs for the selected scientist, who takes up berth space and access to the vessel’s research infrastructure. Applications are submitted through the National Geographic Funding Portal against this specific RFP, and the Society’s general criteria apply: applicants must be 18 or over, may lead only one proposal at a time, must have filed final reports on any previous Society grants they led, and should plan a project start at least six months after the deadline.

National Geographic Society Visiting Scientist Program, Southern Ocean 2027 to 2028 season

Deadline: 21 October 2026
Amount: Not specified on the call page; budgets are set within the RFP

The National Geographic Society is seeking experienced field scientists to join National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions voyages into the Southern Ocean for research purposes during the 2027 to 2028 season, giving researchers berth space and access to remote polar waters that are otherwise difficult to reach. The Society has moved from open calls to a request-for-proposals model, so applications must be submitted through its funding portal against this specific opportunity, with eligibility, budget parameters and outcomes set out in the RFP itself. General criteria still apply: applicants must be 18 or older, may lead only one proposal at a time, must have filed final reports on any previous Society grants they led, and should plan a project start at least six months after the submission deadline. The Society notes it favours applicants with a strong connection to the local context of their work.

Ocean Film Festival World Tour 2027

Deadline: 22 October 2026 regular deadline (earlybird 2 October, late 12 November, extended 4 December)
Amount: Not applicable (screening royalties paid per screening rather than a one-off cash prize)

The Ocean Film Festival World Tour is accepting ocean documentary films under 60 minutes for its 2027 programme, across categories covering ocean exploration, sport and adventure, the ocean environment, coastal culture, and marine wildlife and science. Films produced before 2024 are not eligible, and films in languages other than English require English subtitles. Selected films are announced in January 2027, with the tour running through March 2027 and screenings planned in Australia, the UK, Spain, New Zealand, and Italy. Filmmakers are paid a screening royalty calculated on minutes screened across the tour. Entry fees range from USD 7 to 20 depending on the submission deadline.

Whitley Awards 2027

Deadline: 30 October 2026 (23:59 GMT)
Amount: GBP 50,000 in project funding over one year

The Whitley Fund for Nature makes annual awards to mid-career grassroots conservation leaders in the Global South, funding proven, science-based solutions that deliver lasting results for both people and nature. Applications covering marine, terrestrial, and freshwater work are all welcomed, at both species and wider ecosystem level. Applicants must generally be nationals of the country where their project is based and work for a locally incorporated NGO, charity, not-for-profit organisation, or eligible university, with a demonstrated track record in conservation. Three referees are required, and it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure references arrive before the deadline; the Fund states that submissions using templates from previous years will not be considered. Projects run for 12 months and are expected to begin in or shortly after June 2027, with winners announced at the awards ceremony in London in spring 2027.

Closing in November 2026

Environmental Photography Award 2027

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (23:59 CET)
Amount: EUR 5,000 grand prize; EUR 1,000 per category winner; EUR 500 each for the Public Award and Students’ Choice Award

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s annual photography award rewards photographers whose work raises awareness of environmental protection, and one of its five categories is dedicated to the ocean: images of the richness of seas and oceans and the diversity of marine wildlife, taken under the surface only. The other categories are Polar Regions, which includes the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, Forests, Changemakers, and Humanity versus Nature. Entry is free and open to photographers of all nationalities aged 18 or over on 1 November 2026, with up to five images per category. Images must have been taken no earlier than 1 September 2021, and AI-generated, composited or staged images are not accepted. The 36 shortlisted images are exhibited in Monaco and on an international tour and published in the award book, with winners announced on 26 April 2027.

Behavior Change for Climate Action Challenge

Deadline: 1 November 2026 (23:59 ET)
Amount: USD 7,000 per organisation, plus technical assistance, to three nonprofits

The Center for Behavior and Climate is running its Behavior Change for Climate Action Challenge for another year, seeking nonprofits applying evidence-based behaviour change tools to high-impact climate actions that reduce CO2 emissions. Eligible climate areas include blue carbon restoration, renewable energy, electrification of cars, trucks or buses, building benchmarking, energy efficiency, food choices, and public action such as policy support, volunteering, and voting. Proposals must describe the behaviour change tools to be used. The programme targets adults aged 18 and over, whether groups or individuals, and does not fund environmental education projects for children. Three nonprofits are selected, each receiving USD 7,000 for a new or existing climate action project plus a workshop and continued technical support from CBC. Applications run to three pages and are requested by emailing infocbc@bds.com.

Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program, 2027 to 2028 funding cycle

Deadline: 6 November 2026 (17:00)
Amount: Not specified on the call page

Funded by a share of the revenue from Florida’s Sea Turtle Specialty License Plate and administered by the non-profit Sea Turtle Conservancy, this programme distributes funds each year for sea turtle research, conservation, and education work benefiting Florida sea turtles. Applicants must submit both a digital copy through the online submission form and one signed original printed hard copy postmarked by the same deadline, a change from previous years when eight hard copies were required. The cover sheet, budget, and body of the proposal must be in MS Word format rather than PDF, with supporting documents accepted as PDFs. Proposal review completes in January 2027, the grant committee meets in March 2027, and funded projects are expected to begin around 1 May 2027 and run for one year. Projects requiring Marine Turtle Permits must have the final permit approved by the date of the committee meeting.

Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future 5th Call for Proposals

Deadline: 13 November 2026 for concept papers (call opened 20 July 2026)
Amount: Community grants up to BZD 100,000; medium grants BZD 50,000 to 150,000; large grants BZD 150,000 to 500,000

The Belize Fund, the financing mechanism of Belize’s Blue Bonds, is inviting concept papers for its 2026 to 2027 funding cycle across three thematic areas: sustainable fisheries covering gear, traceability, catch data monitoring, and fisher capacity; climate resilience through nature-based solutions, restoration, and reduced nutrient and sediment loading; and blue business innovation including mariculture, reef-positive tourism, circular economy work, and value-added marine biodiversity products. Applicants with accepted concept papers are invited to develop full proposals, with technical working sessions provided for community grant applicants. Eligible entities must be registered with the Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry and operational in Belize for at least one year, and community grant applicants must be located in a coastal community. Co-financing of 10 to 25 per cent is required depending on grant size.

Women Divers Hall of Fame 2027 Scholarships and Training Grants

Deadline: 30 November 2026 (applications open 1 October 2026)
Amount: 19 categories of scholarships and training grants valued at more than USD 100,000 in total; individual amounts vary by category

The Women Divers Hall of Fame awards scholarships and training grants each year to individuals of all ages, providing financial and educational support for independent research, fieldwork, conservation and restoration activities, and diving and diving-related training. Scholarship categories in recent cycles have covered marine conservation research, marine biology, underwater archaeology, sea turtle conservation, and journalism, graphic arts, photography and videography, alongside a range of dive training grants; full descriptions of the 2027 categories are published on the WDHOF website. Every application requires two letters of recommendation from people able to comment on the applicant’s ability to complete the proposed project or training, and neither applications nor letters are accepted after the deadline. Awards are announced in mid-February 2027 and made in March 2027, so the organisation asks applicants not to apply if the funds are needed before then.

Closing in January 2027

PADI Foundation Grant Program, 2027 cycle

Deadline: 15 January 2027 (applications open 1 November 2026)
Amount: Typically USD 5,000 to 12,000

The PADI Foundation funds research and education projects that expand knowledge of aquatic environments, improve understanding of diving physiology and diver safety, and address challenges facing ocean and coastal ecosystems. Grants typically range from USD 5,000 to 12,000, with larger budgets considered for diving-physiology research related to diver safety. There are no nationality restrictions, and proposals may address both scuba and freediving.

NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, 2027 cohort

Deadline: 31 January 2027 (23:59 ET; applications opened 1 September 2026)
Amount: Up to USD 40,000, comprising USD 9,500 per year for two years of full-time study, a 10-week paid NOAA summer internship, and funding to present internship research at two national scientific conferences

The Hollings Scholarship supports undergraduates studying NOAA mission fields, including engineering, meteorology, biological sciences, social sciences, physical science and other related disciplines, at accredited colleges and universities in the US or US territories. Applicants must be US citizens with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, typically second-year students in a four-year programme, third-year students in a five-year programme, or community college students planning to transfer to a four-year institution; for the 2027 cycle, eligible students must have an anticipated bachelor’s graduation date between December 2028 and August 2029. Scholars receive an academic award of USD 9,500 per year for two years and complete a 10-week, full-time, paid summer internship at any NOAA facility nationwide between the first and second years of the award. All application materials, including reference forms and transcripts, must be received by the deadline; late or incomplete applications are not reviewed.

Closing in March 2027

The Waterloo Foundation Environment Fund: Marine Programme

Deadline: 1 March 2027 (the Marine programme has two fixed deadlines each year, 1 March and 1 September)
Amount: Most grants total GBP 100,000 to 150,000, spread over multiple years

The Waterloo Foundation, an independent grant-making foundation based in Cardiff, runs a Marine programme within its Environment Fund, making one-off and multi-year grants, usually for up to five years. It prioritises UK-based charities, many of which work in close partnership with smaller local NGOs in the countries where they operate; organisations based outside the UK must name a UK-based referee, such as a UK office of an international NGO, a past Waterloo grantee, or a UK-based donor, and applications without one are not considered. There is no application form: proposals of roughly two to three sides of A4 are emailed to applications@waterloofoundation.org.uk, stating that the application is for the Marine programme. Only one application per organisation is considered at a time, the Foundation looks favourably on proposals with match funding already secured, and decisions usually take around six months from submission.

Science Without Borders Challenge 2027

Deadline: 1 March 2027 (23:59 ET)
Amount: Scholarships of up to USD 500

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation’s 15th annual international student art contest takes the 2027 theme “Navigate with Care,” asking students to create artwork showing how safe and responsible navigation can protect marine life, conserve fragile ocean ecosystems, and promote safety at sea. The contest is open to students worldwide aged 11 to 19 who are enrolled in primary or secondary school or the home-school equivalent; college and university students are not eligible. Work is judged in two age categories. New for 2027, entrants must submit two progress photos documenting the creation of their artwork.

SEVENSEAS Media · Conservation Journalism for the Ocean
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