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In this podcast episode, Abigail interviews Benjamin, founder of Azul Bio and participant in the Ocean Pitch Contest by the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.

The discussion focuses on Benjamin's startup, which aims to save coral reefs from extinction caused by ocean warming. Benjamin explains the importance of coral reefs for ocean life and human livelihoods and describes Azul Bio's innovative solution: coral microbiome boosters.

These boosters enhance the heat tolerance of coral reefs, helping them survive and recover from bleaching events.

Benjamin highlights the technical aspects of their solution, the potential impact on global coral conservation, and the importance of collaboration with other coral restoration organizations.

The conversation also covers the business aspects of Azul Bio, their funding journey, and the future prospects of their technology.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:22 The Problem: Coral Reef Extinction

00:55 Understanding Coral Bleaching

01:35 Human Impact and Coastal Protection

03:34 Azul Bio's Innovative Solution

04:13 Microbiome Boosters in Detail

09:21 Field Application and Testing

13:06 Business Model and Partnerships

16:59 Challenges and Future Plans

26:08 Funding and Competitions

30:52 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Welcome to Happy Planet!

Our guest this week is William Calvert, co-Founder and CEO of the NYC based startup, Return to Vendor. William is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who has lived in Paris, and Italy and designed for the likes of Balenciaga before getting the fashion-tech bug about 10 years ago.

His first foray into the field led him to create fabric out of down for an Italian company and now he's 100% focused on 100% circularity. He and his partner are recycling abandoned nylon fishing nets (and thereby helping to clean up the ocean) and turning it into primary material that can be turned into fabric, buttons, zippers and more. The idea is to make 100% nylon garments (or suitcases or shoes) so they at the end of their life span they can be fully recycled and turned back into new products.

William shares his business ideas but also his thoughts on how we can be better consumers and what the fashion industry might look like a decade from now.

When I contacted William, I was looking to sidestep from the ocean for a moment to check in with other industries. But when I discovered William was procuring nylon from fishing nets I realized that, in the end, everything comes back to the ocean. Including every other breath.

We are going to take a break for the summer and will be back after Labor Day with interviews with the top three winners of Sustainable Ocean Alliance's 2024 Ocean Pitch Challenge.

I am so grateful for all of your support. We have a growing awareness footprint and now we are regularly solicited by people hoping to be a guest on Happy Planet. Thank you for your part.

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Happy Planet Wednesday!

The weather has been so beautiful in Maine lately that I am going to bring you all here to my home state. Today we’re going to speak to Marianne Naess, a Norwegian native living in Maine who, with her husband, has co-founded Katahdin Salmon, a soon-to-be scaled salmon aquaculture farm that intends on bringing Norwegian quality salmon to the Northeast corridor, without the carbon footprint.

As Maine is known for its seafood, Marianne and her husband assumed setting up their fish farm along the coast would be a breeze. Reality proved different and after quite a bit of well publicized pushback from wealthy coastal residents, their proposals were denied.

Fortunately salmon are anadromous, meaning they can thrive in fresh or salt water, and so Marianne and her husband were able to look for alternative locations « up country ». They eventually found a happy home in Millinocket where they have received a warm welcome from the community and the green light to finally build their operations. Along the way they have signed a joint venture with members of the Penobscot tribe to manage their brood stock facility.

Listen on Apple , Spotify, YouTube, our website, or pretty much anywhere you listen to podcasts!

I'd like to thank our sponsors:

Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Bold Ocean Ventures have partnered to create a mission-driven venture capital fund, supporting the growth of innovative, sustainable ocean-related businesses.

Startup Marin Skincare has rocketed thanks to products made with Maine-lobster-derived glycoprotein that work on eczema and dry skin. Former guest on our show and co-Founder Patrick Breeding is offering listeners a 20% discount on their skincare products. Type HAPPYPLANET into the coupon code field!

Spark No. 9, ensures that companies - and startups - have successful product launches by testing their products online. Remove the guesswork before you launch!

Promotional and program partners include Oceanovation, Investable Oceans and Bright Tide.

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