Legislative Work
On Capitol Hill, Oceana advocates for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, planning and mitigation of the effects of climate change on our oceans, and funding for climate change research, including research on ocean acidification.   

Source Control
As an ocean-focused organization, Oceana recognizes that our oceans and the delicate marine ecosystems that depend on them are on the front lines when it comes to climate change.  Besides providing us a major service by absorbing much of the carbon dioxide we release, our oceans and the life within them hang in the balance.  Oceana will do its part to prevent climate change by addressing a major source of greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change -- air pollution from the shipping industry.  Oceana will identify solutions that can reduce emissions of gasses like carbon dioxide, black carbon, and others from the global shipping fleet. This will help to stem the release of greenhouse gas emissions and turn the tide on climate change.

Public Education and Action
Oceana is raising awareness about Global Climate Change, its effects on marine ecoystems and the need to act now to protect our oceans and our way of life. We realized that the role our oceans play and risks faced by our beloved sea life were not getting adequate attention in this global discussion.  Oceana will serve as a voice for our oceans, increasing public awareness and understanding and channeling necessary action to help turn the tide on climate change.

Ecosystem Protection
While reducing greenhouse gas emissions today is critical to preventing future catastrophic climate changes, global climate change is already stressing marine ecosystems and will likely continue to do so for at least the near future.  This makes our work to protect ecosystems from other threats more important now than ever before.  Along with encouraging the U.S. government to adopt policies that slow down and reduce the impacts of climate change, Oceana is protecting the world's oceans by fighting to stop threats such as bottom trawling, overfishing and marine pollution which compromise the resilience of ocean ecoystems.  

Ocean ecosystems around the globe are already beginning to show signs of stress and Oceana is engaged. For example, Oceana has been working to protect the Arctic by minimizing the threats that are making it less able to adapt to climate change.  We are working to Stop Bottom Trawling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. We are fighting to Stop Dirty Fishing and the Goverment Subsidies that stimulate unsustainable fishing behavior. And we are fighting to Stop Pollution that not only harms marine life, but that ultimately comes back to threaten us directly in the form of seafood contamination.  By limiting these strains and reducing stress on the oceans, we can improve the ability of marine ecosystems to adapt to the effects of climate change.  This resiliency, or ability to adapt to change, will be critical as the ocean temperatures rise, acidification increases and other changes take place because of greenhouse gas emissions.  

<< Back  Get Involved >>