They collect garbage from the water and beaches. Literally. The money they earn selling 4ocean merchandise has covered the cost of pulling more than 32 million pounds of garbage from the environment since 2017. They share their impact with before-and-after pictures over social media feeds and do not abuse my email inbox.
Listed in alphabetical order
This organization protects wild river ecosystems, restores damaged rivers, and conserves clean water for people and nature. They are advocates for streams and communities across the country, including our major Pacific Northwest rivers, the Columbia and the Snake, and all of the smaller ones that flow into the Salish Sea.
Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas called Hope Spots.
We need Oceana to succeed. They are working at the national level driving policy changes in countries around the world. They focus on many ocean issues, but seem to prioritize commercial overfishing, and with good reason. Their email campaigns are perhaps a little heavy on drama, but their intent is good.
They position themselves as the “creative agency for the ocean”. To that end, how cool is this? An image bank full of glorious underwater photos of oceans around the world for us to use. For free. Bring it on!
You are probably familiar with Boyan Slat and his team of passionate engineers in the Netherlands. They get a lot of media attention because they are doing big things. First was technical innovation to clean up ocean gyres. Next was technical innovation to clean up rivers before they flow into the gyres. It is brilliant work. We should cheer them on!
SeaLegacy tells compelling stories from around the world using extraordinary photography and video designed to motivate the rest of us to act to conserve our global ocean.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The team at Sea Shepherd walks the talk. They are simply, forgive me, badass. They bravely put themselves in harm’s way to defend wildlife and conserve and protect the world’s oceans from illegal exploitation and environmental destruction.
There are tons of “top 10 actions” lists out there touting the things we can do to reduce plastic pollution in our ocean. Think of this as a meta list of hundreds of solutions that you can filter and search through for ones that make sense for you.
This is a grassroots organization that has been working for 35 years to keep our coastal waters and beaches clean. They have harnessed a nationwide network of activists who work to clean up beaches, engage elected officials, and drive educational programs in local communities.
The United Nations established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to “promote prosperity while protecting the planet.” SDG #14 Life Below Water is to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.”
United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
2021-2030 is the Decade of the Ocean. The UN is working to develop scientific knowledge, build infrastructure, and foster relationships for a sustainable and healthy ocean. This website consolidates a ton of resources to help us all learn and take action.