The ocean is the Earth’s biggest life support system, and healthy marine ecosystems are essential for human survival and well-being. As a leader in the global movement to protect vast ocean areas, Marine Conservation Institute uses the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems, advocate for their protection, and measure progress toward effective, sustainable marine protection.
Our priority is to help create an urgently-needed worldwide system of Blue Parks, or recognized highly protected areas, to ensure the future diversity and abundance of marine life. To encourage meaningful progress and accurately reflect the current state of marine protection, we also developed and actively maintain the world’s most comprehensive online marine protected area database, the Marine Protection Atlas.
We are an active member of the High Seas Alliance, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition and National Ocean Protection Coalition, working to defend and advance marine protection at home and abroad. Our work in the California Seamounts Coalition leads efforts to protect vital deep-sea habitats off the California coast. This work builds on our decade-long efforts at conserving coral ecosystems. We also model deep-sea habitats and research their ecosystems to promote protection for these fragile, hard-to-find living treasures.
Since starting as the vision of one person in 1996, Marine Conservation Institute has become a major player in the effort to save our oceans. Given the environmental challenges facing our blue planet, accomplishing our mission is more important now than ever before. Become an Ocean Guardian or make a donation to help ensure our oceans remain healthy and strong for generations to come.
