Grantmaking

Innovative ocean projects receive funding from Schmidt Marine Technology Partners

SMTP awards $1 million to sustain long-term grantees’ existing projects and invested in two new ocean-focused initiatives 

Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (SMTP), a program of The Schmidt Family Foundation, has awarded $1 million in grants to support existing partners and invested an additional $425,000 in two new ocean-focused initiatives this November. The funds support innovative projects that enable ocean research, promote habitat health, address plastic pollution and maintain sustainable fisheries.

Since its founding in 2015, SMTP has contributed funding to the development of more than 50 promising technologies that solve complex ocean health issues and, in most cases, have strong commercialization potential. The program currently supports 38 projects around the world. 

This grant cycle’s recipients and projects include the following:

  • Fishtek Marine: Uses electrical pulses to deter sharks from longlines and reduce bycatch.
  • GROW Oyster Reefs: Uses the power of biomimicry to jointly restore oyster reefs and seagrass beds. GROW will be working with academic partners at the College of William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and the University of Florida.
  • The Bay Foundation & Marauder Robotics: Accelerates the removal of urchins at minimal cost dramatically increasing the ability to restore and maintain kelp forests.   
  • American Shore and Beach Preservation Association & Hohonu: Hohonu builds low-cost open source sensors to monitor ocean parameters like sea level, conductivity, pH and temperature. Funding will provide products and related services to ASBPA.   
  • WiBotic & University of Washington: Development of wireless underwater charging system to power underwater vehicles and other oceanographic research equipment.

Schmidt Marine Technology Partners is part of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Network that includes The Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Futures,The 11th Hour Project,  Schmidt Ocean Institute, 11th Hour Racing and Remain Nantucket.

To learn more about SMTP and our grantees, visit schmidtmarine.org.