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Issues

Ocean Conservancy has worked for more than three decades toward its of goal of a wild, healthy ocean. Increasing public awareness of ocean issues is one of the keys to bringing about significant changes to the way oceans are managed. Help us keep the pressure on our elected officials to address these issues. Join the Ocean Action Network and we'll send you action alerts by email so you can make a difference in the health and conservation of our ocean.

Aquaculture
Aquaculture supplies nearly a third of the world's seafood supply, and is the fastest growing sector of the world food economy. Numerous studies document potentially serious environmental impacts from aquaculture, especially ocean fish farming. But there are no comprehensive federal standards to site, manage or regulate such operations.

Arctic
This great, frigid region impacts every living thing on Earth through its role in climate regulation. Freshwater ice melt helps regulate ocean circulation, Arctic tundra helps control levels of greenhouse gas emissions, and the region acts as the air conditioner for the world, reflecting sunlight and helping cool the planet. Light-colored ice and snow reflect up to 90 percent of solar radiation, whereas vegetation and dark soil reflect only 20 percent and open water, only ten. As ice melts, there is less to reflect sunlight, and increasing warmth compounds the cycle.

Artificial Reefs
Sometimes constructed from concrete blocks or acres of old cars, artificial reefs can be found from cold, rough waters to warm, tropical lagoons. While some artificial reefs might benefit some species of reef fish, they also raise many concerns.

Bycatch
For every four pounds of fish they catch, fishers worldwide throw away more than a pound of other animals. And in some types of gear, like shrimp trawls, the ratio is even worse.

Climate Change and the Ocean
The ocean is the engine that drives our planet’s climate. It is our life support system, providing much of the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the resources we depend on for life every day. The ocean is essential for life. Unfortunately, the ocean will be the first ecosystem to suffer widespread effects of global climate change.

Entangled Animals
From dolphins to whales, sea turtles to sea lions, thousands of animals die each year entangled in commercial fishing gear or marine debris.

Marine Debris
From urban trash to abandoned fishing gear, marine debris is one of the world's most pervasive marine pollution problems. Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers collect millions of pounds of trash around the world during our International Coastal Cleanup — the world's largest volunteer effort of its kind.

Marine Protected Areas
Our oceans were once considered too vast to harm. But, now they are showing significant signs of declining health. Human activities have resulted in over-exploitation of many species, loss of biodiversity, and habitat destruction and alteration. Marine protected areas are the first step toward lasting solutions.

Marine Spatial Planning
The ocean today faces an era of unprecedented activity. Wind farms and other energy facilities, commercial fishing, diverse recreational uses, offshore drilling, and shipping superhighways are all competing to stake their claims on the ocean. We urgently need a plan for the many uses of our ocean. To have order in the ocean, we must balance commercial and recreational use with the needs of marine life and ecosystems. Such an approach makes sense as, in recent years, the pressure to industrialize the ocean has increased as demand for both fossil fuels and renewable energy in ocean areas has risen sharply.

Massachusetts Ocean Act
The Massachusetts Ocean Coalition represents over 35 member organizations working together to build a Massachusetts Ocean Plan that balances commercial and recreational activities with conservation needs in order to ensure a healthy ocean legacy for the Bay State.

Offshore Drilling
While oiled wildlife graphically reflects the catastrophic threats of offshore oil and gas drilling operations, other consequences abound as well. All endanger marine wildlife, fishers, Native people, and others who live, work, or play on our oceans.

Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when fish are caught faster than they can reproduce.  Many marine scientists now believe that overfishing is the biggest human impact on the world's oceans.

Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary
Located off the Massachusetts coast, this underwater treasure is home to endangered whales, codfish, and unique underwater landscapes.

Sustainable Seafood
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of our ocean resources makes sound economic sense, especially in the Gulf of Mexico region, an area strongly identified with reef fish for seafood markets locally and around the world. In its long journey from the ocean to your plate, the delicious seafood we enjoy passes through many hands, literally and figuratively. Follow the journey: Fishery to Fork.

Whaling
Valued for their oil, blubber, meat and baleen, many species of whales were hunted nearly to extinction by the 20th century. Even with laws enacted by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), most species haven't recovered. Some countries, like Japan and Norway, still ignore conservation plans, threatening the survival of these awesome animals.

© Copyright 2010 Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.

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The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.

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