Our top 10 in 2025: Looking back on a big year for islands
Oh what a year it’s been! As we count down the final days of 2025, here are our top ten highlights of a very eventful, rewarding year in our mission to protect the world’s islands.
New projects
Seacology began 28 new projects this year, including a nationwide initiative (more on that below). These conservation partnerships included our first in Canada, Croatia, and Scotland, and our first in many years in Dominica. These new projects are now unfolding in 22 diverse countries—a testament to the effectiveness and adaptability of our win-win approach to environmental protection.
Renewed partnerships
We inaugurated several new partnerships with island communities that have been longtime conservation allies with Seacology. In places like Mkwiro Village in Kenya and Nasigasiga Village in Fiji, local leaders remain committed to environmental stewardship long after they first received support from Seacology. New funding will help them extend and expand their locally led conservation and community empowerment.
Protecting Greece’s seagrass
Our third major nationwide initiative—and our first in Europe—kicked off this summer. Over the next five years, we’ll be working with the Cyclades Preservation Fund, other Greek conservation groups, and communities throughout the Greek islands to protect Posidonia oceanica seagrass ecosystems. These underappreciated plants are vital to Mediterranean ecosystems and the wellbeing of coastal communities. Our Greek Islands Seagrass Alliance will help mobilize the public for their long-term preservation.
Dominican Republic
Since 2020, our nationwide initiative to promote mangrove conservation throughout the Dominican Republic has helped to change the conservation landscape in that country. In its final full year, our partners at Grupo Jaragua have made presentations to thousands of students, organized mangrove tours, held prominent art and photography exhibitions, and otherwise increased local awareness and appreciation of these indispensable coastal forests. Seacology grants have helped also communities develop sustainable tourism and apiculture, directly linking healthy mangroves to local prosperity.
We’ll share a comprehensive review in early 2026 after we officially wrap up our role. We are confident that the positive impact will be felt across the DR for many years to come.
Play for the Mangroves
Our unique youth-sports program had a big year. Begun in the Dominican Republic in 2021, Play for the Mangroves (PFTM) expanded to the Philippines, and then this summer to Jamaica. The idea is simple: underprivileged kids get free sports equipment and uniforms, and play in PFTM events. They also visit local mangroves to learn about their importance, and participate in mangrove planting, coastal cleanups, and other stewardship. The young people not only get the tools and support they need to enjoy their favorite sports, but also become ambassadors for mangrove conservation. Thousands of kids across the three countries have now taken part in the innovative program.
And it’s working! A study published this year surveyed Dominican PFTM participants and found that even years after participating, their knowledge of and attitudes about their local coastal wetlands had improved significantly. The impact extended beyond the kids themselves to family and community members.
The devastation of Hurricane Melissa in October has delayed our PFTM expansion in Jamaica. We’re looking forward to picking up where we left off in 2026 as Jamaica recovers.
Green Sports Alliance award
Play for the Mangroves received international accolades when the Green Sports Alliance awarded us the 2025 Community Impact Award! The GSA, which seeks to promote sustainability across the sports industry globally, gives this award to honor “actions that make a tangible difference for communities, reduce inequality, and contribute to positive social change.” We think that’s a great description of Play for the Mangroves!
Seacology Prize
Speaking of awards, we have to mention our own. In October we presented the 2025 Seacology Prize to Cynthia Ong of Malaysian Borneo. The award recognized Ong as our island conservationist of the year for her decades of effective advocacy for and organizing with rural villages across Borneo. Her grassroots efforts have protected indigenous communities’ land from unsustainable development and resource extraction, preserving the habitats of many threatened species. In a moving speech to a packed audience, she explained how making connections across borders and cultures is key to saving our shared environment.
Seacology Expeditions
There are few things more rewarding for our team than taking supporters to see the impact of their philanthropy firsthand.
This spring we hosted a kayaking trek through Baja California Sur, Mexico. We visited Isla Coronado, where Seacology played a key role in improving sanitation on a beautiful and popular white-sand beach.
In May, Seacology supporters attended the official dedication of our project on Mali Island, Fiji. The people of this rural island had saved for 20 years to replace their dilapidated school building, but still didn’t have enough. A grant from Seacology made the difference, allowing the community to finally provide a modern school for their kids. In exchange, local leaders pledged to protect and restore a wide area of mangroves, coral reef, and forest. Our guests were invited to take part in a feast and a moving, joyous traditional celebration of this life-changing investment in the island’s future.
Media coverage
Our wins for islands and islanders didn’t go unnoticed by the press. Our new seagrass initiative made headlines in Greece. An in-flight magazine highlighted our travel program. The Seacology-funded mangrove museum in Sri Lanka (quickly reopened by its dedicated staff after catastrophic floods throughout the country this month) received a glowing feature. Executive Director Duane Silverstein went in-depth on all things Seacology in podcast interviews.
In Northern California, where we’re based, local news site Berkeleyside ran a great, comprehensive profile of Seacology, detailing our history and explaining how our relatively small nonprofit has had a globe-spanning impact.
Support from our community
We look back on the year with immense gratitude for those who made all of this possible. If you haven’t yet, we hope you’ll consider making a year-end gift. But whether you’re a donor, a guest on one of our trips, or just someone who stopped to learn more at an event or shared an online post, we’re very thankful. The world’s islands and their people face many growing challenges, but together we can make a difference as we head into 2026.
We’ll have a more detailed look back when we publish our 2025 Annual Report in the spring.