Ocean Conservancy Experts on Capitol Hill to Advocate for Policy Solutions to Plastic Pollution

WASHINGTON – Next week, Ocean Conservancy experts will be in Washington, D.C, to speak with congressional offices about solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. Topics will include Ocean Conservancy’s award-winning scientific research on the impacts of plastic pollution on wildlife; the importance of cleaning up plastic pollution from beaches and waterways, drawing from data collected during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), the largest beach and waterway cleanup in the world; and policy solutions to prevent plastic pollution from reaching the environment in the first place.

Ocean Conservancy will meet with members of Congress and their staff alongside representatives from ICC partner organizations across the U.S., including Alliance for the Great Lakes, Friends of the Chicago River, Clean Virginia Waterways, and Save Our Shores (California).

If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Roya Fox at [email protected] or 202.280.6285.

• Jeff Watters: Vice President of External Affairs, with nearly 20 years of marine science and policy experience, oversees the organization’s government relations team and Florida program, driving advocacy strategy at both the federal and state levels. Since joining Ocean Conservancy in 2011, Jeff has played an instrumental role in securing billions in funding for clean ports and coastal restoration and resilience in the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, among other wins. 
• Allison Schutes: Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups with nearly two decades of marine conservation experience and more than a decade of experience leading the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and the 400+ partner organizations that make up the network. In this time, she has conducted and participated in cleanups on every continent except Antarctica – from Alaska to Australia, from China to Chile.
• Dr. Britta Baechler: Director of Ocean Plastics Research, who leads primary research on varied topics related to the distribution and impacts of plastic pollution, including prevalence of microplastics in the human food system, movement of trash from inland out to sea and public knowledge and perceptions of the plastic pollution issue. Recently, she co-authored award-winning research on the lethal dose of plastic pollution to marine mammals, turtles and seabirds.
• Dr. Erin Murphy: Manager of Ocean Plastic Research, who conducts policy-relevant scientific research to better address the social and ecological impacts of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Recently, she was the lead author for award-winning research on the lethal dose of plastic pollution to marine mammals, turtles and seabirds.

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ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY   For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.