WHY the ocean matters

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The Air We Breathe

Every second breath you take comes from the ocean. No matter where you live, your life depends on the ocean. Beyond the breaths you take, the ocean plays a critical role in regulating our weather and climate.

Did you know that changing ocean chemistry is threatening future generations?

Find Out How »

The Air We Breathe

Our ocean is nature’s farmers market. More than 2.6 billion people rely on the ocean as a primary source of protein. Healthy food from our ocean means a healthy planet.

See how Ocean Conservancy works to put sustainable food on our dinner tables.

sustainable food »

The Water We Drink

Time and time again, water returns to the ocean for renewal and purification to support life on earth. Our mission is a balanced, healthy ocean—free of the trash and pollution that can ruin the water we depend on every day.

Join us in keeping our seas trash free by reducing your impact at home.

Trash Free Seas »

The Creatures We Love

Like you, we are amazed and inspired by the stunning diversity of life in the ocean. Playful dolphins and otters, majestic sharks, powerful polar bears and glimmering schools of fish.

It is our duty to preserve their wild and free existence by protecting them from the human threats that surround them: harmful nets, plastics, oil spills and more. Meet some of the creatures we work every day to protect.

Explore Marine Wildlife »

The Places That Inspire Us

Walking on a peaceful beach. Sailing with the wind at your back. Diving into the blue water. From the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic, the ocean's touch has inspired humans to create, explore and protect, and we're working to save these special places.

Help Ocean Conservancy by speaking out for the places you love.

Explore »

Join the Fight for a Healthy Ocean

A healthy ocean means more than beautiful coasts and vibrant ocean wildlife. A healthy ocean supplies the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. If the ocean isn't healthy, neither are we.

Be one of the millions of people who are making the pledge to support a healthy ocean and a healthy planet.

JOIN US »
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Did You Know
  • It's microscopic ocean plants that provide nearly half of the world's oxygen.
  • The Gulf of Mexico alone supports an estimated $22.6 billion in seafood, commercial fishing and recreational fishing related activity.
  • In 2011, nearly 600,000 volunteers from around the world joined Ocean Conservancy to collect more than 9 million pounds of trash from our beaches and waterways.
  • Nearly a quarter of all marine species have been listed as either critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
  • The ocean covers nearly 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, yet only 1 percent of it is protected.
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