Three Southeast Asian ocean champions have been crowned winners of the Blue Water Heroes 2024

As the saying goes, “you cannot love what you don’t know”. To this end, technology such as the Tetiaroa Society’s Honu and projects such as Dr Earle’s Deep Hope harness submersible technology that will allow humans to explore depths so far unexplored. As well as for scientific research, these are aimed at the general public to instil a sense of ownership of the planet’s lifeline and inspire positive action.

There were other powerful presentations, notably that of Professor Peter Harrison—the founding director of the Marine Ecology Research Centre—who highlighted innovative methods for reef-based coral restoration using mass larval production. Esther An, chief sustainability officer of City Developments Limited, elaborated on innovative design principles and strategies employed in the industry of real estate development that underscore sustainability and support ocean health.  

Winner of last year’s Blue Water Heroes Tom Peacock-Nazil, the founder and CEO of Seven Clean Seas,  took to the stage to underline the importance of waste management. His presentation elaborated on incentivisation as a way of preventing and managing plastic pollution. “We need to find a way to pay for waste management,” said Peacock-Nazil in explaining Seven Clean Seas’ plastic credits, which allow companies to fund the removal of plastic waste from the environment, and thereby manage their plastic footprint. There were also pre-recorded presentations by Magorium’s Oh Chu Xian and Save Philippine Seas’s Anna Oposa, the first and second runners-up of Blue Water Heroes 2023 respectively. 

Toh Tai Chong, senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore, who has been part of the judging panel for Blue Water Heroes since its initiation, touched on the role of community-based projects around Southeast Asia and blue carbon financing. One of the projects he highlighted was that of Les Village, led by Pak Made Merta, a Blue Water Heroes Awards 2023 finalist.

Read more: This marine conservationist is working to restore reefs and restore access for everyone

Assistant vice-president of Marine Zoological Operations at S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore, Luis Neves’ presentation pressed on the importance of zoological institutions such as aquariums serving as hubs for conservation, environmental advocacy and assurance arks for species. There were also other talks focusing on blue carbon sequestration through mangrove restoration and about involving the community in marine conservation, which was presented by marine biologist Sam Shu Qin, co-founder of Our Singapore Reefs and ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove’s eco-advisor.

Dr Earle then took the delegates through her journey into marine conservation, beginning with a love for the ocean at a very young age, her resolution towards creating Marine Protected Areas and her passion for submersibles that gave rise to Deep Hope—it rests on her belief that it is important to inspire the general public to care for their environment. 

The launch of the book, Souls—short for Stories of Our Underwater Legends—honouring Dr Earle and the Ocean Geographic team was fitting to the event’s theme. There was also the screening of 2099: Power in Us, a film that chronicled their Antarctic expedition and the upcoming one to the Arctic.  

Blue Eco Summit closed with a resounding note—“Saving the ocean is a team sport”—with Dr Earle as the poster child. 

On November 8, ONE°15 Marina’s Constellation Ballroom celebrated the region’s eco-champions at an exclusive dinner. From marine conservationists and environmental stewards to scientists and investors, they gathered at Constellation Ballroom to honour the Blue Water Heroes. 

A signature segment of this annual marine conservation event, Blue Water Heroes Awards shines a spotlight on the remarkable conservation efforts of passionate eco-champions from around Southeast Asia. Ten of them were shortlisted as finalists—founders and co-founders of non-profits and social organisations committed to conserving the region’s waters through innovative solutions that showed promise of scalability for the future. 

They took part in a Pitch Presentation on 10 October at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove in front of a panel of judges. The panel included Tay; Dr Toh; Winston Chow, associate professor of Urban Climate at Singapore Management University; Christine Amour-Levar, founder of Her Planet Earth and Women On A Mission; Tianna Nguyen, founder of business consulting firm Alensia; environmentalist and host Paul Foster; and Tatler Gen.T’s Chong Seow Wei.

The finalists this year were:

• Afiq Durrani, director of Sustainable Ocean Alliance Malaysia
• Andre Saputra, founder and director of Indonesia Biru Foundation
• Chien Le, founder of SASA Marine Animals Rescue
• Daniel Quilter, co-founder of Fuze Ecoteer
• Leon Boey, founder of Livingseas Foundation
• Mark Joseph Laceste, founder of Lalakbayin Ecoventures
• Ng Lee Kiang, co-founder of Young Nautilus
• Rose Huizenga, founder of Coral Catch
• Sue Ye, founder of Marine Stewards Singapore
• Ziggie Gonzales, founder of The Plastic Solution

Poster boards outlining the works of their respective organisations lined the foyer area of the ballroom giving guests a preview of what was to come, while a video showcase during the gala allowed more intimate insight.  

In a true celebration of the environment, the curated dinner menu honoured locally sourced and seasonally produced organic ingredients, devoid of chemical or pesticide dependence. 

A few powerful presentations and a fireside chat with Dr Earle punctuated the event, along with soulful tunes by Skye Sirena and her band. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Blue Water Heroes winners. 

They were Rose Huizenga, founder of Coral Catch in first place; Leon Boey, founder of Livingseas Foundation in second; and Ng Lee Kiang, co-founder of Young Nautilus in third place. They were awarded cash prizes in the amounts of S$25,000, S$15,000 and S$10,000 respectively.

Accepting the award in between tears of joy, Huizenga reminisced about her four-year journey with Coral Catch. “I am not a marine scientist and when I started my journey, I often wondered if my passion for the ocean and my commitment to conservation would be enough to earn respect. If there’s one thing I have learnt in the last four years, it’s that if you truly care for your mission and for your team, respect will follow.” Her allusive ending note—“nobody cares about how much you know until they see how much you care” spoke to all the finalists, each a winner in her or his right. 

Now, meet the winners of the Blue Water Heroes 2024. 

Netherlands-born Huizenga conceived Coral Catch to restore the degrading coral systems in Gili Air, Indonesia, where she worked as a scuba instructor. The organisation goes one step further and empowers local women to become leaders in marine conservation.

Its award-winning scholarship programme equips participants with the skills, knowledge and confidence to take on critical roles in this vital field. Today, their Super Women work tirelessly to rehabilitate Indonesia’s marine ecosystems and educate local women and children about ocean protection. Coral Catch also collaborates with the local government to strengthen its initiatives and has established a memorandum of understanding with the University of Mataram to strengthen its initiatives. Huizenga aims to empower 100 women in the next five years to pursue careers in marine conservation.

An accomplished scuba instructor since 2005, Boey, a Singaporean, witnessed first-hand the degradation of coral reefs over time. An especially severe bleaching event triggered his conservation journey and the founding of Livingseas Foundation, which operates an extensive coral restoration initiative off the coast of Padangbai, Bali.

The 3,500 sqm site is the largest in Indonesia. Livingseas Foundation engages the local community in the restoration work and also allows visitors to participate through hands-on activities conducted from an upcycled, purpose-rebuilt fishing pontoon. Aside from his goal to create the world’s largest coral reef, Boey aims for long-term ecological and social impact through the organisation’s community engagement programmes.

Ng co-founded Young Nautilus in 2015 as a social organisation dedicated to marine education and environmental awareness. Her distinctive approach blends her passion for marine biology with hands-on learning experiences, which makes complex ecological concepts accessible and engaging, especially for young people.

Young Nautilus’ engagement programmes, which include Biodiversity Walks, Conservation Talks, and Values-in-Action workshops, reach over 10,000 audiences every year, from schools, corporate groups and families. It also equips young educators and advocates with hands-on conservation experience and knowledge, empowering them to drive meaningful environmental change. 

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