Ocean Conservancy

• Delta Corporation (1972 to 1975)[7]
• Center for Environmental Education (CEE) (1975 to 1989)[7]
• Center for Marine Conservation (1989–2001)[8]
• Ocean Conservancy (2001–Present)[9]

After a four-year advocacy effort, Ocean Conservancy helped enact a Congressional rewrite of the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1996,[10] which changed how fisheries are managed. It remains the nation's primary fisheries law.[11]

Before 1996 the law contained no provisions to stop overfishing or require the rebuilding of fish stocks.[12] There was no prohibition of bycatch when fish and animals were caught unintentionally by fishing gear or nets targeting specific species. Nor was there a directive to protect fish habitats. Ocean Conservancy lobbied successfully to close these loopholes and establish more sustainable fishing practices.[12]

Ocean Conservancy aims to protect marine mammals and 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 the International Whaling Commission adopting an international moratorium on commercial whaling in 1982. In 1984, Ocean Conservancy led efforts against the U.S.-sanctioned fur seal hunt by blocking the renewal of the North Pacific Fur Seal Treaty in the Pribilof Islands, as well as efforts to protect dolphins from the tuna industry.[13] Ocean Conservancy also assisted in the creation of the dolphin-safe tuna-labeling program.[14]

Ocean Conservancy's efforts to save sea turtles from being victim to bycatch resulted in federal and state regulations requiring the use turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawl gear[5], saves thousands of turtles each year.[15] Ocean Conservancy's Sea Turtle Rescue Fund appealed directly to shrimpers to voluntarily address the problem of sea turtles drowning in their nets.[15]

Ocean Conservancy played a major role in derailing proposals to reopen international trade in sea turtle products and in ending Japanese imports of Hawksbill sea turtle shells.[16]

Ocean Conservancy is attempting to restore coral reefs through coral tree nurseries and research as part of the Recovery Plan with the NOAA.[17] 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 Ocean Conservancy 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.[18]

Group of volunteers participating in an ocean clean-up run by Ocean Conservancy

One of the Ocean Conservancy's concerns involves setting up ocean cleanups, an event where volunteers can gather to remove trash from their local oceans. Their main event is the International Coastal Cleanup, a day where over 150 countries gather to clean up beaches and oceans.[19] The movement was created by Linda Maraniss and Kathy O'Hara in 1986 when they organized the Ocean Conservancy's first local cleanup event.[20] Since this first cleanup, Ocean Conservancy has helped to pick up over 300 million pounds of trash from the ocean.[19] 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.[19]To easily track the trash being picked up, Ocean Conservancy launched an app called Clean Swell in 2015. The user can log and photograph the trash they pick up, and the information is then sent to Ocean Conservancy's global trash database.[21]

The Trash Free Seas Alliance was established by the Ocean Conservancy in 2012, with the participation of significant enterprises such as The Coca-Cola Company, Pespi Co, and Amcor, as well as non-profit organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and the Project AWARE Foundation.[22] The primary objective of the alliance is to combat marine litter via scientific investigation, policy advocacy, and public outreach. Its main focus 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 on marine debris was created and divided between two main offices located in Washington, D.C. and San 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 by President Clinton in 2000, establishing an Oceans Commission to review and update policies related to ocean and coastal protection.[5]

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 of marine 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 and Prince 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 specialized veterinarians and technicians in the oil spill response environment.[23]

Along with ACN partnering with the Alaska SeaLife Center, ACN also has a long-standing partnership with International 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.[24]