(Seychelles News Agency) - An opportunity has opened for one Seychellois national to advance their ocean-related project or idea in a five-day learning visit to the Nekton Foundation in Oxford, United Kingdom (UK), through an Ocean Innovation Award launched by the Danny Faure Foundation.

A first of its kind, the Ocean Innovation Award seeks to motivate Seychellois to come up with innovative ideas relating to the ocean, and then obtain the opportunity to make it a reality.

The Foundation's executive director, Lorraine Faure, shared that the award will also help to inspire and harness innovative new ideas to address positive ocean solutions for the country.

"In line with its objectives as a non-governmental organisation, the Danny Faure Foundation has launched the Ocean Innovation Award under its pillars on Ocean Governance and the Blue Economy, where it seeks to further empower the youth and professionals who are dedicated to contributing towards the protection and conservation of the ocean, marine science and a sustainable blue economy," said Faure.

Interested persons will need to submit a video introducing themselves and their idea or project. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2024. More information can be found on the foundation's website.

A panel, independent of the foundation, will be tasked with selecting the awardee.

"The awardee will benefit from a five-day learning visit at Nekton to advance their idea or project. Nekton will provide support to the awardee by its own personnel and where possible bring in its own partners with specialist skills," said Faure.

Depending on the nature of the idea or project, Nekton could provide support in several areas, such as strategic development of the awardee's idea including financial, operational, communications, scientific support, and guidance to deliver advancement.

Nekton can also assist with practical or professional development; through hands-on experience to advance specific skills required to support project advancement should Nekton or its partners have the relevant skills.

Furthermore, it can provide coaching and guidance on creating assets for presentations to advance the project to the next stage of development. 

Nekton was launched in 2016 when it joined with UNESCO to launch major new initiatives to protect the high seas. It takes its name from a 'nekton', a zoological noun describing aquatic animals that can swim against or independently of a current. The programme was founded by scientists and journalists working together and has undertaken deep-reaching scientific missions.

Nekton undertook a mission in Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, from March 5 to April 18 in 2019.

On April 14, 2019, President Danny Faure, Seychelles' head of state at the time, made the first-ever live speech from a Nekton underwater submersible, 121 metres deep in the ocean, calling for action to be taken against global warming that was covered by global media.