Our ocean gives us so much. Whether you live near a coast or have never seen the ocean, you are touched by it every day—from the air we breathe, the water we drink or the food we eat. And that’s not to mention the majesty, inspiration and wonder our ocean provides at every turn. Jacques Cousteau said it well, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

And with all that, it is hard not to want to give something back to our ocean—but how can we do it? Swim with us through a few ways to give below, fishy friend!

Give Funds

One of the best ways to give to our ocean is to help fund the researchers, scientists and advocates who are working tirelessly to protect it. At Ocean Conservancy, our scientists spend their days researching the effects of ocean plastics, ocean acidification, changing climate and more. They use this research to inform policies and advocate for the best legislation or regulations to keep our sea otter or sunfish friends—and all ocean life—safe and healthy.  When you give to Ocean Conservancy, you’re making sure a walrus can care for her cubs safely on sea ice in the Arctic, a baby sea turtle can find its way back into the waves after hatching or a seal can snack on tasty crustaceans without accidentally ingesting harmful plastic—all in a healthy ocean.

Give Your Voice

Your voice is important to the fight for a healthy ocean and YOU can help by taking action.  Ocean wildlife that is directly impacted by our policies and regulations do not have the ability to speak up and voice their concern—they need you to do that for them. Speak up today! Give a voice to animals in the ocean who need help. When you tell Congress that protecting endangered species is important to you or that you are against increased drilling for oil in the ocean, you are giving back to our ocean and making a major difference.

Give Your Network

Want to give back to our ocean one wave further? Spread the word about issues facing our ocean to your friends, family and peers. Ocean Conservancy posts educational content on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram that’s just a quick share away. Want to go TWO waves further? Host a Facebook Fundraiser for a special event in your life like a birthday or big race. When you tell people the mission of a healthy ocean is important to you, they may just make it their mission too!

Give Your Time

You can give to our ocean by helping to solve the problem of trash: participate in a cleanup! Every year, Ocean Conservancy hosts the International Coastal Cleanup where volunteers like you can comb lakes, rivers and beaches around the world for trash. And it doesn’t have to stop there: you can participate in a cleanup with Team Ocean at any time by downloading our Clean Swell app and recording debris you collect. Every piece of trash you pick up is one less piece in our ocean.

Give Back Without Even Thinking About It…

You can give to our ocean when you shop! Select “Ocean Conservancy” as your charity of choice in Amazon Smile, or check out our Shop to Give page to see the awesome retailers and creators we partner with.

There are even more ways to give back to our ocean and support solutions to our ocean’s greatest challenges. Whether you’re a whale enthusiast, an otter aficionado or just love a good ocean wave, we hope you’ll give one of these ways to give back a try!