Many organizations highlight the importance of ocean conservation for protection and preservation. Among the top groups evaluated, three organizations consistently rank highly: the Blue Ocean Institute, Oceana, and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. These organizations are recognized as some of the most prominent in the field.
Blue Ocean Institute
The Blue Ocean Institute is a non-profit organization based in Stony Brook, New York, and has existed since early 2003. Blue Ocean’s primary focus is to foster an intimate relationship with the sea. They achieve this through science, art, and literature. The institute believes that if they can instill hope, people will make better individual choices to help restore our oceans and will help protect those oceans with steadfast dedication and love.
Oceana
Oceana is at the forefront of the most prominent organization. Founded in 2001 in Washington, DC, the organization has focused on protecting and restoring the world’s oceans. Team members, known as “e-activists,” are often called “wave-makers,” their specific job is to send out letters and petitions to support the various conservation campaigns. Oceana’s campaigns are specific and look to prevent the decline of fish populations and other sea life threatened by industrial fishing or pollution.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is perhaps the most well-known in ocean conservation. Founded in 1977 and based in San Juan Island, Washington, Sea Shepherd is a direct action organization. Sea Shepherd is notorious for taking extreme measures to protect our oceans and marine life. Society has been featured on Animal Planet’s reality series Whale Wars, and oftentimes, people use controversial means to achieve their goals. In methods that are at times risky, Sea Shepherd does achieve results through their actions. They have helped to decrease the number of whales killed each year. By bringing attention to the struggle of these remarkable creatures, Sea Shepherd has garnered awareness of their plight.
