Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges.

Together, creating science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

Their vision is a healthy ocean that sustains life on the planet.

They are a voice for the ocean.

Ocean Conservancy mobilizes citizen advocates to facilitate change and protect the ocean for future generations.

They advocate for science.

Ocean Conservancy champions research and monitoring efforts that will lead to innovative, sustainable solutions.

They build on a foundation of success.

Ocean Conservancy has been working for more than four decades to ensure the health of the ocean’s valuable natural resources.

They collaborate with partners.

Ocean Conservancy partners with unexpected allies to develop cross-cutting solutions that lead to lasting change.

They focus on people.

Ocean Conservancy is committed to supporting efforts that benefit the people who depend on the ocean for food, jobs and recreation.

They bring volunteers together.

Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort to clean up waterways and the ocean. 

Their Solutions for a Healthy Ocean:

They champion sound science that will lead to innovative, sustainable solutions.

Fighting for Trash Free Seas

Over the last 25 years, Ocean Conservancy has been bringing together passionate ocean lovers and helping them contribute to a vision for trash free seas.

• - They mobilize the International Coastal Cleanup—the world’s largest volunteer effort to clean up waterways and the ocean. 
• -They research and share key details about what’s trashing the ocean with the public, the scientific community and decision makers.  
• - They prevent trash from entering the waters by working with everyone from individuals to businesses to change the behaviors that cause ocean trash.

Everyone can play a role in the movement for trash free seas. Ocean Conservancy is leading the way with practical, pragmatic solutions that:

• - Empower people. They lead a movement of people taking concrete actions every day to protect the ocean. They’re bringing useful tips to people on every street corner, creek bed and coastal waterway to empower them to stop the flow of trash before it hits the shores. 
• - Strengthen the science. Ocean Conservancy is leading scientific work with business and academic partners to improve knowledge of the ocean trash issue.
• - Engage everyone in solutions. Ocean Conservancy is bringing together leaders from industry, government and academia through the Trash Free Seas Alliance ® to bring innovative solutions to the ocean trash issue. 
• - Promote good policies. Ocean Conservancy built support for the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act and its companion bill in the Senate, the Trash Free Seas Act, to strengthen a national focus on marine debris. 

 

Sustainable Fisheries

Protecting vulnerable fish—and the legacy of fishermen

Ocean Conservancy has worked for more than 20 years to support sustainable U.S. fisheries. It’s in everyone’s best interest—distributors, retailers, fishermen and consumers—to restore the ocean’s bounty and strengthen the coastal economies.

Their partnerships with fishermen have led to new policies to help make fish plentiful now and into the future—and they are successful. According to a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries report, we are turning the corner on overfishing. The catch by American fishermen has reached a 17-year high. The evidence can be seen in signature species -- red snapper are recovering in the Gulf of Mexico and lingcod is coming back on the Pacific Coast.

They’re creating a model other countries can follow to better protect fish worldwide. But recovery takes time. They can’t relax the measures in place. The science tells them they have to hold the line on successful policies and practices to ensure that vulnerable species thrive long into the future. They continue to work with fishermen to keep the nation’s fisheries laws strong to ensure continued success.

Their work doesn’t stop there. They’re helping connect fishermen and seafood buyers who want to purchase sustainably caught seafood. They’re contributing to a shared vision where retailers, restaurant chains and other seafood businesses support good fishing practices—so they never again catch fish faster than they can reproduce.

They have also created incentives that reward fishermen when they use practices that protect ocean ecosystems. They’re helping introduce shrimp fishing gear that reduces environmental impacts, including the number of fish and endangered sea turtles that are caught and killed incidentally. These innovations are more fuel-efficient as well, helping fishermen save on fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions at the same time.

Clean, healthy ocean habitat for fish

They’re restoring the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, which supports an estimated $22.6 billion in seafood, commercial fishing and recreational fishing related activity. Along the California coast, they have helped create an extensive network of marine protected areas, underwater parks that provide havens where fish can thrive, and they continue to build on their long history of fisheries conservation work in the state. Beyond California, they’re working with a range of partners and stakeholders to monitor and address the emerging threat of ocean acidification, already impacting oyster growers on the Pacific Coast.

 

Ocean Acidification

Ocean Conservancy is getting the word out to make sure people on both the East Coast and West Coast understand this complex ocean threat. There's a need to reduce the carbon emissions to tackle ocean acidification at its root.

There are also actions that can be taken locally to reduce runoff and support research investments to protect jobs, businesses and the unique way of life the coastal communities sustain. They’re working with partners and people on the front lines to create support for local and regional actions to address acidification.

 

Smart Choices for a Healthy Ocean

Smart planning for marine resources requires a coordinated policy – based on science – to balance ocean uses. More comprehensive and available data means greater efficiency and maximized resources. By listening to the needs of all ocean users, better decisions can be made about how to preserve a thriving economy and healthy ocean. 

Ocean Conservancy advocates for smart ocean planning that incorporates these key steps:

• - Create an ocean atlas that allows everyone to see what’s going on in U.S. waters.
• - Invite all stakeholders to ocean town hall meetings and other open forums that give everyone a say in decisions about how to use and protect ocean resources. 
• - Empower those whose lives are most impacted by the ocean to plan for the future.

 

Engaging Partners

 

Ocean Conservancy recognizes that real leadership means developing cross-sector solutions that promote ocean health. That’s why they work with the private sector to create partnerships that make sense for companies and for the ocean.

Why does a healthy ocean matter?

• - The ocean covers 70 percent of Earth's surface and contains 97 percent of the planet’s water.
• - More than 50 percent of Americans live within 50 miles of the coast and 180 million people visit the coasts each year.
• - The ocean produces half of the world’s oxygen. That means half of every breath you take comes from the ocean.
• - More than 1 billion people depend on fish from the ocean as their primary source of protein. 
• - A healthy ocean fuels sustainable businesses and a strong economy in industries such as seafood, tourism, pharmaceuticals and shipping. Several studies estimate the total economic value of the ocean to exceed $20 billion per year. Pollution, overfishing and habitat degradation diminish that value.

 

Marine Protected Areas

Marine protected areas foster vibrant, healthy ocean habitats.