The MPB Geographical Better World Video Awards has attracted some fantastic ocean-themed videos, with a few days left to make your vote count
The MPB Geographical Better World Video Awards has attracted almost 50 top-drawer videos about how people, businesses and communities are working to make the world a better place – and some of those, of course, include the ocean.
Top prizes of a £3,000 towards a trip to Wakatobi, a £1,000 donation to your cause or charity, and £500 vouchers to spend with high-quality used camera specialist MPB.
Check out the top ocean-themed videos and head to the voting page on our sister publication Geographical’s website, to make your vote count. Click here for the complete list of all entries.
Voting closes on Monday, 26 February
Mantas of Makunudhoo
The Manta Trust entered a cracking film about engaging locals in a remote Maldivian atoll in manta conservation. Join the expedition to a remote northern atoll in the Maldives researching manta rays, turned into a fascinating film which documents the trust’s work understanding why the mantas aggregate in such large numbers, their feeding and mating behaviour, and discovers a number of cleaning stations where mantas gather to be stripped of parasites by smaller fish.
In Search of Giants
Award-winning filmmakers Tatiana McCabe and Graeme Purdy entered their film about sperm whales in Dominica on the day a marine protection zone was announced in the area to protect the local population.
RahVeshi Manta Programme
The RahVeshi Programme is a Maldives Manta Conservation Programme (MMCP) initiative created to establish long-term, locally driven research and outreach programmes to protect the natural resources of the Maldives. The film charts the ways in which the new initiative is providing more training, mentorship, resources, paid internships, and job opportunities for local people in marine research, education and conservation, while also gaining consistent access to significant manta ray study sites in remote parts of the archipelago, away from tourism.
Making a Tuna Fishery Sustainable
When Kepa Echevarria set out to transform his tuna fishery into one that was certified as sustainable, he thought it was the just and obvious thing to do for the planet and the future of his business.  This video tells the story of Echevarria’s journey, one that many thought wouldn’t be possible, and shows how, at a time when fish stocks are under pressure from overfishing, not committing to sustainability is a decision the planet cannot afford to make. 
Turning discarded fishing nets into art
PescArt Menorca tackles plastic pollution by transforming discarded fishing nets into unique artistic creations. This initiative, involving 79 fishermen, has successfully collected 2,180 kg of nets, engaging 25 artisans and artists, directly benefiting 192 individuals from social sectors and 1,647 people through workshops and exhibitions (2023 figures). A total of 711 products were directly sold by the artists involved in the project.
Protecting the Lungs of the Sea
Seagrass meadows are one of the most valuable ecosystems on the planet. They absorb up to 35 times more carbon than tropical forests, nurture a wealth of marine life and enrich the water with oxygen.
This video describes why seagrass health is so important for people, nature and the climate and portrays the work of Fauna & Flora and the Mediterranean Conservation Society to protect seagrass meadows along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Last year, AKD’s founder and president, Zafer Kizilkaya, received the Goldman Prize for this important work.
For more information and to see the complete list of entries, head to the main Better World Video Awards page on our sister publication, Geographical’s website.
