November 10, 2022 | The finalisits of the Earthshot Prize 2022 have been determined. Prince William announced the fifteen finalists – three finalists in five categories.

Meet this years finalists of the Earthshot Prize, category “Revive our oceans”: Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Bubble Barrier and SeaForester.

Indigenous women of the Great Barrier Reef

To safe the Great Barrier Reef the indigenous rangers in Queensland fight for its protection. They bring together ancient knowledge with modern technology to monitor coral changes, forest fires and land degradation. The collected data of the rangers give critical insight into one of the most important ecosystems on the planet.

Larissa Hale, Managing Director of the Indigenous Women Rangers Network: “This place has always been our home, but today we risk losing it and the unique culture that has existed here for millennia. Our Women Rangers Network exists to protect our home and continue our traditions. We have made big first steps, but we have a long way still to go. Thank you to The Earthshot Prize, for supporting us.”

The Great Bubble Barrier

Intercepting plastic waste before it reaches the sea is the goal of the Great Bubble Barrier. It was developed in The Netherlands. The technology is simple: air is pumped through a perforated tube placed diagonally on the riverbed to create a “curtain” of bubbles, which directs plastic up to the surface and into a waste collection system, all without obstructing wildlife or boats.

So far several Bubble Barriers have been installed in The Netherlands. One of them in Amsterdam’s famous canal Westerdok stops an average of 8,000 pieces of plastic waste from entergin the North Sea every month. Two new Bubble Barrieres are planned for Germany and Portugal.

SeaForester

Goal of the SeaForester team is to restore underwater seaweed forests. Half of the earth’s kelp forests has already disappeared – and with them marine ecosystems and the chance to capture carbon. Seaweed is able to absorb more CO2 than trees. But the SeaForester team has a solution: green gravel. Seaweed spores are seeded onto small stones and scattered into the ocean. The stones latch on to the underlying reef, the seaweed grows and multiplies, spreading across the ocean floor. The seaweed forest returns.

So far, the team has tested the technique in Portugal and other countries. They aim to plant thousands of tonnes of seaweed by 2026.

The Earthshot Prize 2022: Stay tuned!

The Earthshot Prize awards ceremony will take place on Friday, December 2 at the MGM Music Hall in Boston. It will air around the world on BBC in the UK, PBS in the United States and Multichoice across Africa. The show will also be available globally on YouTube. It will premiere on Sunday, December 4.