What We Believe

The ocean sustains life, livelihoods and lifestyles.

The ocean is where we gather with family and friends, and where we go to feel connected to nature. It is a place of enjoyment and renewal. It is where heritage and prosperity intertwine for Indigenous communities, coastal dwellers, and those in ocean-dependent trades. The sea breeze through our hair, the feeling of sand beneath our toes, the smell of the salt air, and the sound of crashing waves: the ocean is a source of life.

Our planet’s diverse underwater realm holds tropical coral reefs and lush kelp forests, deep canyons and towering seamounts, meadows of seagrasses and fragile Arctic sea ice. Whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, sea birds, fish, and other animals depend on these special places. For them, the ocean is home.

Every living thing depends on the ocean.

The Challenge

What draws us to the ocean and leaves us in awe — its abundance, its diversity of life, its immense vastness — is at stake. 

We look to the ocean as a source of food, energy, and income. Yet we are taking more than our fair share. People and extractive practices are removing ocean wildlife faster than they can replenish, and we are polluting and destroying habitat faster than it can be cleaned up or restored.

Human activity now touches every part of our ocean. What was once thought to be vast, has limits.  Areas of the ocean were once protected by their great distances from shore. Today, human impacts, ranging from plastic pollution to carbon emissions, reach all depths and currents of our ocean.

We depend on the ocean for so much. It is also one of our greatest tools in the battle against climate change. Now is the time to come together and protect it. 

The Solution

The best answers come from those closest to the problems. We seek experiences, perspectives, cultures and geographies that come together to offer and advance solutions for a healthier ocean. 

That’s why we’ve brought together a diverse cross section of people, all committed to protecting our one and only ocean. Our coalition includes groups representing national, regional and local perspectives from across the U.S. and includes Tribal leaders, racial justice advocates, scientists, faith leaders, conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, fishers, and more.  

Together, we work to create and support marine protected areas – special places in the ocean that, much like national parks on land, serve as a refuge for the wildlife and habitat that call these underwater places home, and for people to experience and appreciate the awe and renewal of nature. 

Places that have been given these protections in the past, such as Papahānaumokuākea Marine Monument, are thriving and teeming with life. Fish and sea creatures of all kinds grow in number and size within their boundaries, and then move to other areas, replenishing the rest of the ocean and strengthening the entire ecosystem. This not only benefits ocean wildlife, but also helps build the ocean’s resilience in the face of climate change. Marine protected areas benefit all of us who rely on the ocean for food, livelihoods, traditions, recreation, and economic prosperity.

Marine protected areas work best when communities come together - across perspectives, industries, cultures and geographies - to design and move them forward in a way that combines local knowledge and values with robust scientific understanding.