Ocean Conservancy, which was first called The Delta Corporation, is a nonprofit group that works to protect the environment. It is based in Washington, D.C., United States. The group aims to help keep oceans healthy and full of different types of life. It also tries to stop pollution in the ocean, reduce the effects of climate change, and oppose actions that harm both ocean life and people.

History

The Ocean Conservancy was created in 1972 by Bill Kardash as the Delta Organization. It was first started to oppose commercial whaling. In 1978, the group began its first project, the Whale Protection Fund. This project collected 500,000 signed petitions and gave them to the International Whaling Commission during a meeting in London.

In 1975, the organization changed its name to the Center for Environmental Education (CEE). This change helped the group focus more on teaching people about environmental and marine life issues. The group wanted to create laws to protect ocean health and prevent problems that harm both ocean life and humans.

During the 1980s, the CEE expanded its work to include protecting ocean wildlife. This happened around the same time as a major event in 1982, when the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling. Inspired by this, the CEE began working to protect many types of marine animals and their homes. In 1986, the group started the Marine Sanctuary Program and held the first International Coastal Cleanup. These efforts helped the group push for the creation of protected areas to save important marine ecosystems.

In 1989, the CEE changed its name again to the Center for Marine Conservation (CMC). This new name showed the group’s focus on solving problems like overfishing, marine pollution, habitat loss, and harmful coastal development. In 2001, the group was officially named the Ocean Conservancy. Its main goal was to help restore healthy American fisheries and protect wildlife from harm caused by humans.

With the help of more than 17 million volunteers and workers, the Ocean Conservancy has started new projects and goals. These include supporting strong ocean laws, doing scientific research, working with others, and helping communities protect and improve the health of oceans and coastal areas.

Name Changes Over Time:
– Delta Corporation (1972–1975)
– Center for Environmental Education (CEE) (1975–1989)
– Center for Marine Conservation (CMC) (1989–2001)
– Ocean Conservancy (2001–present)

Initiatives

In 1996, the Ocean Conservancy helped change the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act after working for four years. This law is still the main rule for managing fisheries in the United States. Before 1996, the law did not stop overfishing or require rebuilding fish populations. It also did not prevent bycatch, which happens when fish or animals are caught accidentally by fishing equipment. Additionally, the law did not include rules to protect fish habitats. The Ocean Conservancy successfully pushed for changes to fix these issues and create more sustainable fishing practices.

The Ocean Conservancy works to protect marine mammals and their homes. In 1979, it started the Seal Rescue Fund (SRF) to stop the use of marine mammals for business purposes. Its efforts to stop whaling led to the International Whaling Commission banning commercial whaling worldwide in 1982. In 1984, the organization worked to stop the U.S.-supported hunt of fur seals in the Pribilof Islands by preventing the renewal of a treaty. It also helped protect dolphins from harm caused by the tuna industry and supported the creation of a program that labels tuna as "dolphin-safe."

The Ocean Conservancy’s work to save sea turtles from being caught accidentally in fishing nets led to rules requiring the use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in shrimp fishing gear. These tools help sea turtles escape from nets and save thousands of turtles each year. The organization’s Sea Turtle Rescue Fund also encouraged shrimp fishermen to voluntarily reduce the number of sea turtles that drown in their nets.

The Ocean Conservancy played a key role in stopping plans to restart international trade in sea turtle products and in ending Japan’s import of hawksbill sea turtle shells.

One of the organization’s goals is to organize ocean cleanups where people can remove trash from their local waters. Its largest event is the International Coastal Cleanup, where more than 150 countries join together to clean beaches and oceans. This event began in 1986 when Linda Maraniss and Kathy O'Hara organized the first local cleanup for the Ocean Conservancy.

Since the first cleanup, over 17 million volunteers have collected more than 300 million pounds of trash from oceans. Scientists have found that about 8 million metric tons of plastic enter oceans each year, which is why the International Coastal Cleanup continues to grow. In 2015, the organization created an app called Clean Swell to help track trash collected during cleanups. Users can take photos of trash and send the information to the Ocean Conservancy’s global database. This data is shared freely, such as for studying plastic waste in different countries. A new goal was set to stop all new plastic from entering oceans by 2030.

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

Partnerships

Over the years, the number of ships traveling to the northern Arctic has grown a lot because the ice is melting and shipping routes stay open for longer periods each year. This increase in ship traffic raises the risk of oil spills. The Alaska Chadux̂ Network (ACN) has worked hard to develop and improve ways to reduce the chance of oil spills in the ocean. To protect the wildlife in this clean and untouched ocean and coastal area from the harm of an oil spill, Ocean Conservancy, ACN, and the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) have created a program to help respond to oil spills that affect marine mammals such as sea otters, seals, and sea lions in Western Alaska, the U.S. Arctic, and Prince William Sound. The agreement includes money from ACN, an Alaska-based oil spill response group, to help ASLC create better plans for dealing with oil spills and get special tools for responding. The program also includes training and practice with ACN responders, including local community partners, and supports remote ASLC specialists, such as veterinarians and technicians, during oil spill events.

In addition to working with ASLC, ACN has a long-term partnership with International Bird Rescue (IBR). IBR helped ACN create a mobile unit designed to quickly move to areas where birds and small mammals are injured and provide care. Like ASLC, IBR also sends trained bird care workers and equipment to help rehabilitate animals affected by oil spills.

Ocean Conservancy is working with NOAA to restore coral reefs through coral tree nurseries and research as part of a recovery plan. Coral is very sensitive to changes in water temperature and quality caused by global warming, and these changes often lead to reef disease and death. The organization shares information about the problems affecting coral reefs and other marine ecosystems through its website and magazine. Scientists and policy experts from the group encourage lawmakers to support policies that reduce harm from activities like using fuels that produce carbon.

In 2012, the Trash Free Seas Alliance was created by Ocean Conservancy with the help of major companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Amcor, as well as non-profit groups like the World Wildlife Fund and the Project AWARE Foundation. The main goal of the alliance is to reduce ocean pollution through research, policy changes, and public education. The group focuses on finding the causes and effects of marine debris, creating solutions to stop plastic waste, and pushing for laws that prevent plastic from entering the ocean.

In 1988, a database about marine debris was started and managed by two offices in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. The goal was to share important information about ocean plastics with scientists, policymakers, teachers, students, and the public. Because of the alliance, the California Marine Debris Action Plan was created in 1994 and has been used to address ocean trash. In 2000, President Clinton signed the Oceans Act, which created an Oceans Commission to review and update policies for protecting oceans and coastal areas.

Legislative victories

• In 1996, Congress changed the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
• In 2020, a law was passed by the federal government called the Save Our Seas Act 2.0. This law gives money to help prevent marine debris by working with NOAA.
• In 2022, in June, California passed a law called SB54, also known as the Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act. This law reduced the use of single-use plastic by 25%.

Notable achievements

• In 2020, the organization became the first national ocean partner for a Super Bowl, which led to the removal of 2.7 million plastic cups that are used once (replaced with eco-friendly aluminum cups).
• In 2022, Ocean Conservancy joined global representatives at COP27 to reaffirm a commitment to reduce global warming and climate change.
• By May 2023, Ocean Conservancy had removed over 341 million pounds of trash from the oceans.

Awards

• Received the highest level of transparency recognition, the Platinum Seal, from GuideStar.
• Earned the highest rating among environmental nonprofit organizations by Charity Navigator in 2021.

Criticism

In 2015, more than 200 environmental leaders and groups sent an open letter and a technical criticism of the Ocean Conservancy's "Stemming the Tide" report, which was also released in 2015. The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) pointed out that the report supported burning plastic waste, which can cause harm. The letter also noted concerns about the negative effects waste could have on Asian cities where the report suggested storing waste, as well as the report's acceptance of the need for plastics.

In July 2022, the Ocean Conservancy formally apologized. They acknowledged that they had not properly addressed the causes of plastic waste, failed to consider the impact on communities affected by waste, and did not support efforts to create a circular economy.