Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy

Predecessor	Bill Kardash, Tom Grooms, Roger McManus, Vice Admiral Roger Rufe (USCG Retired)
Formation	1972
Type	Non-profitenvironmental organization
Tax ID no.	23-7245152
Focus	Arctic,aquaculture,marine conservation activism,Trash-Free Seas, Gulf Restoration andfisheries,marine protected area,Coast andmarine spatial planning
Location	Washington, D.C.,United States
CEO	Janis Searles Jones
Website	www.oceanconservancy.org

Ocean Conservancy(founded asThe Delta Corporation) is anonprofitenvironmental advocacy group based inWashington, D.C.,United States.The organization seeks to promote healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems, prevent marine pollution, climate change and advocates against practices that threaten oceanic and human life.

History

The Ocean Conservancy was founded in 1972 by Bill Kardash under the nameDelta Organization.Initially established to protestcommercial whaling,the group launched their first initiative in 1978. The initiative was the Whale Protection Fund which collected 500,000 signed petitions and presented them at the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting inLondon.

The organization's name was changed again in 1975 to theCenter for Environmental Education(CEE), shifting the focus to raising awareness about environmental and marine life conversation and issues. Recognizing the need forlegislationto protect marine healthy and safe ocean ecosystems and to help prevent things that threaten oceanic and human life.

During the 1980s, the CEE expanded its focus to encompass broader goals of protecting ocean wildlife. This shift coincided with a significant development in 1982 when theInternational Whaling Commissionimposed a ban on commercial whaling. Inspired by this milestone, the CEE started advocating for the conservation of variousmarine speciesandhabitats.To further advance its mission, the organization launched the Marine Sanctuary Program in the 1986,and hosted the very first International Coastal Cleanup in 1986.Through this initiative, the organization activelylobbiedfor the creation of coastalwildlife preserves,seeking to establish protected areas that would safeguard and preserve critical marine ecosystems.

In 1989, CEE became theCenter for Marine Conservation(CMC), and expanded it scope to address specific issues likeoverfishing,marine pollution,habitat destructionand unsustainable coastal development. At the turn of the century, in 2001 the organization was officially named theOcean Conversancy.The conservancy's main concern was to restore sustainable American fisheries and protect wildlife from human impact.

The organization with the help of more than 17 million volunteersand employees, has enacted new initiatives and goals, including advocating for strong ocean policies, conducting scientific research, fostering collaborations, and empowering communities to protect and restore the health of oceans and coastal habitats.

Previous names

• Delta Corporation (1972–1975)
• Center for Environmental Education (CEE) (1975–1989)
• Center for Marine Conservation (CMC) (1989–2001)
• Ocean Conservancy (2001–present)

Initiatives

Sustainable Fisheries Programs (1992)

After a four-year advocacy effort, the Ocean Conservancy helped enact a Congressional rewrite of theMagnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Actin 1996,which changed how fisheries are managed. The act remains the nation's primary fisheries law.Before 1996 the law contained no provisions to stopoverfishingor require the rebuilding of fish stocks.There was no prohibition ofbycatchwhen fish and animals were caught unintentionally by fishing gear or nets targeting specific species. Nor was there a directive to protect fish habitats. The organization lobbied successfully to close these loopholes and establish more sustainable fishing practices.

Seal Rescue Fund (SRF) (1979)

The Ocean Conservancy aims to protectmarine mammalsand their habitats. In 1979, the organization established the Seal Rescue Fund (SRF) to protect marine mammals from commercial exploitation. Its efforts to ban whaling resulted in theInternational Whaling Commissionadopting an international moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982. In 1984, Ocean Conservancy led efforts against the U.S.-sanctionedfur sealhunt by blocking the renewal of the North PacificFur Seal Treatyin thePribilof Islands,as well as efforts to protect dolphins from the tuna industry.Ocean Conservancy also assisted in the creation of thedolphin-safe tuna-labelingprogram.

Sea Turtle Rescue Fund (1987)

The organization's efforts to savesea turtlesfrom being victim to bycatch resulted in federal and state regulations requiring the useturtle excluder devices(TEDs) in shrimp trawl gear,saves thousands of turtles each year.The organization's Sea Turtle Rescue Fund appealed directly to shrimpers to voluntarily address the problem of sea turtles drowning in their nets.

The Ocean Conservancy played a major role in derailing proposals to reopen international trade in sea turtle products and in ending Japanese imports ofhawksbill sea turtleshells.

International Coastal Cleanup (1986–present)

One of the organizations concerns involves setting up ocean cleanups wherevolunteerscan gather to remove trash from their local oceans. The main event of the organization is the International Coastal Cleanup, a day where over 150 countries gather to clean up beaches and oceans.The movement was created by Linda Maraniss and Kathy O'Hara in 1986 when they organized the Ocean Conservancy's first localcleanup event.

Since this first cleanup, more than 17 million volunteers have helped to pick up over 300 million pounds of trash from the ocean.Scientists have confirmed that about 8 million metric tons of plastic are added to oceans yearly, prompting the International Coastal Cleanup to take place and expand yearly.To easily track the trash being picked up, the organization launched an app called Clean Swell in 2015. A user can log and photograph the trash they pick up, and the information is then sent to Ocean Conservancy's global trash database.With eight million metric tons of plastic entering the oceans each year, a new goal was launched dedicated to stopping the flow of all new plastic into the ocean by 2030.

• 
  International Coastal Cleanup on the beaches of Hawaii, 2005
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  Cleanup group returns from Morro Bay, 2009
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  Group of volunteers cleaning up beaches, 2010
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  Barking Sands, Hawaii cleanup, 2011
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  Marine debris removed during a cleanup, 2012
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  Anacostia River cleanup in Washington, D.C., 2012

Partnerships

Alaska Chadux̂ Network (ACN) and Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC)

Protecting Arctic Marine Wildlife From an Oil Spill

Over the years, vessel traffic to the northern Arctic region has drastically increased as the ice recedes and shipping channels remain ice-free for longer periods throughout the year. This increased vessel traffic creates an increased risk of spills. Alaska Chadux̂ Network (ACN) has continuously pioneered and refined solutions to reduce the risk ofmarine oil spills.In protecting the marine wildlife that inhabits this pristine marine and coastal ecosystem from a potential vessel oil spill, Ocean Conservancy, ACN and Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) have recently established an agreement to implement a program that would respond to an oil spill impacting marine mammals—like sea otters, seals and sea lions—throughout Western Alaska, the U.S. Arctic andPrince William Sound.The Agreement includes funding from ACN, an Alaska-based oil spill response organization, so ASLC can further develop oiled marine mammal response protocols and acquire specialized response resources. In addition, the new program involves opportunities to train, exercise and drill with ACN responders, including ACN partners in local communities, and to support remote ASLC specializedveterinariansand technicians in the oil spill response environment.

Along with ACN partnering with theAlaska SeaLife Center,ACN also has a long-standing partnership withInternational Bird Rescue(IBR). IBR assisted ACN in developing a response trailer designed for rapid mobilization and care of injured birds and small mammals. Like ASLC, IBR also provides bird care professionals and support equipment to assist in the rehabilitation of oiled wildlife.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Coral reef protection and Marine Sanctuaries programs

The Ocean Conservancy is attempting to restore coral reefs through coral tree nurseries and research as part of the Recovery Plan with theNOAA.The coral is very sensitive to changes in water temperature and quality caused by global warming, and many times these changes result in reef disease and death. The organization informs the public of the problems plaguing reefs and other marine ecosystems through its website and magazine. A staff of senior scientists and policy experts urge policymakers to encourage implementing policies regarding mitigation, adaptation, and alternatives to damaging activities such as using carbon-based fuels.

Trash Free Seas Alliance (2012)

The Trash Free Seas Alliance was established by the Ocean Conservancy in 2012, with the participation of significant enterprises such asThe Coca-Cola Company,PepsiCo,andAmcor,as well as non-profit organizations like theWorld Wildlife Fundand the Project AWARE Foundation.The primary objective of the alliance is to combat marine litter via scientific investigation, policy advocacy, and public outreach. The main focus of the alliance was to pinpoint the causes and effects of marine debris, devise effective solutions, and advocate for policies that decrease plastic waste and prevent its release into the ocean.

In 1988, a database onmarine debriswas created and divided between two main offices located in Washington, D.C., andSan Francisco.The aim was to provide essential information on marine plastics to scientists, policymakers, teachers, students, and the general public. As a result of this alliance, the California Marine Debris Action Plan has been in effect since 1994 and is a comprehensive approach to addressing marine debris. The Oceans Act was also signed into law byPresident Clintonin 2000, establishing anOceans Commissionto review and update policies related to ocean and coastal protection.

Legislative victories

• In 1996, a congressional rewrite of theMagnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
• In 2020, federal legislation passed of the Save Our Seas Act 2.0, which allocates funds to support marine debris prevention partnering with the NOAA.
• In 2022 – In June,Californiapassed SB54, also known as the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act. This act limited the use of single-use plastic by 25%.

Notable achievements

• In 2020 the organization became the first national ocean partner for aSuper Bowl,which resulted in the elimination of 2.7 million single-use plastic cups (replaced with sustainable aluminium cups).
• In 2022, Ocean Conservancy joined representatives from around the world atCOP27,to recommit to limitglobal warmingandclimate change.
• Ocean Conservancy has removed 341,836,857 pounds of trash from the oceans, as of May 2023.

Awards

• Platinum Seal of Transparency fromGuideStar.
• Top-rated environmental non-profit byCharity Navigatorin 2021.

Criticism

• In 2015, a group of over 200 environmental leaders and organizations sent an open letter and a technical critique of the Ocean Conservancy's "Stemming the Tide" report, also released in 2015. The criticism from The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) centered on the organization's advocacy forincinerationof plastic waste, which the letter writes can cause harmful effects, the damaging cost waste would have on the Asian cities that the report proposed to store waste nearby, and the acceptance of the necessity of plastics.
• In July 2022, the Ocean Conservancy issued a formal apology, addressing their shortcomings and acknowledging their failure to address the causes ofplastic waste,consider the impact on affected communities, or for the promotion of acircular economy.

See also

• Sustainability
• Biodiversity
• Global warming
• Ecology
• Conservation movement

External links

• Official website