Ocean Conservancy is working with its supporters to protect the ocean from today’s greatest challenges: biodiversity decline, climate change and plastic pollution. To address these crises, we need to provide durable conservation actions that close the gap between the solutions we offer to these crises and what we stand to lose.

Recent evidence reveals that conservation interventions produce significantly better outcomes when local communities are involved and engaged. Ocean Conservancy is committed to provide solutions to the biodiversity, climate and plastic crises in a way that partners and shares resources with local communities to ensure durable ocean conservation results.

A manifestation of this is the Community Grants Program, a program created to spotlight and amplify the excellent ocean conservation work being led by local groups and community members. The Community Grants support solutions to the biodiversity, climate, and plastics crises by:

• Strengthening coastal communities: supporting coastal resilience, removal of plastic pollution, and community resilience to sea level rise.
• Promoting sustainable fishing practices: supporting communities in preserving or promoting sustainable practices for fishing.
• Protecting communities’ connections to the ocean: elevating and strengthening communities’ connection to the ocean.
• Developing new ocean leaders: supporting ocean education and professional training to aspiring ocean leaders.

What impacts the ocean impacts all of us so all of us need to be engaged in helping to protect the ocean.