Descriptions of organizations come largely from their own websites. Any group's views and actions in their entirety do not necessarily represent the opinions of Blue Planet Links Foundation. BPL's mission is to promote sustainably healthy ocean and fresh water, and to the best of our knowledge, the listed organizations share this objective.
© 2012 Blue Planet Links
Oceans
Links to organizations promoting healthy
oceans and fresh waters
Look around: we are deliberately (or thoughtlessly) turning our water sources, shorelines and fish habitats TOXIC. We're ignoring climate change, using water like crazy, thinking short-term.
But some people are fighting back, thinking ahead, spreading the word, and winning battles that can make our children's world will better. Find out more below:
Greenpeace: Defending our Oceans
www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans Greenpeace actively campaigns against threats to the ocean (industrialized fishing, global warming, pollution, unfair fisheries and over-fishing), and for national governments to recognize these threats and legislate to mitigate them.
Living Oceans Society
http://www.livingoceans.org
Canada's largest organization devoted to marine conservation, tackling such issues as oil tankers on the coast, marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, ocean planning through ecosystem-based management, ocean acidification. The Living Reef was a project to conduct a census of British Columbia's reef sealife by enlisting the help of divers and snorklers. And LOS produced Fish for Thought, an Eco-cookbook, including fish-friendly (no endangered species here) recipes from stars such as Sara McLachlan and restaurateur Umberto Menghi. Easy facts and figures.
National Geographic
http://news.nationalgeographic.com
Search WATER for general info on water and water issues around the world. Also http://environment.nationalgeographic.com: Freshwater and Oceans lead you to opportunities to support healthy waters, as well as lots of water-topic news and information.
No Tankers on the Coast
www.notankers.ca Dogwood Initiative campaigns against oil tankers travelling along BC's Great Bear Rainforest and through other parts of the unique coastal ecosystem. Specifically opposed to the Gateway Project, which proposes to send oil-carrying ships through the narrow channel to and from Kitimat.
Ocean Futures
http://www.oceanfutures.org
Ocean exploration and education. Among Jean-Michel Cousteau's aims are to "explore the connection between our actions and the health of the ocean... and to inspire people to act responsibly for its protection."
Oceana
"The world's largest organization dedicated to saving the world's oceans", Oceana researches and reports on regional and global threats to the ocean and drives for improved public policies to counter the threats of overfishing, pollution, bottom trawling and driftnet fishing, offshore drilling and more.
Pacific Whale Foundation
http://www.pacificwhale.org
Maui, Hawaii-based group works to protect the marine environment, particularly for whales, through public education, research and antipollution campaigns.
People for Puget Sound
http://www.pugetsound.org/
Seattle, Washington group aims to protect and restore the health of Puget Sound and Northwest waters through education and action.
RBC Blue Water Project
bluewater.rbc.com/ RBC provides financial support to North American not-for-profit organizations that protect watersheds and provide or ensure access to clean drinking water.
Surfer’s Environmental Alliance
http://www.seasurfer.org/
SEA is a grass-roots, project-based organization aggressively committed to the cultural and environmental integrity of the sport of surfing. "We are as much devoted to protecting the natural wonders of the coastal environment as we are to fostering and protecting beach access."
Surfrider Foundation
http://www.surfrider.org/
American web site of non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting oceans, waves and beaches. 60 U.S. chapters, plus associates in Japan, Brazil, Europe. Australian web site: http://www.surfrider.org.au
The Nature Conservancy (marine)
http://www.nature.org/initiatives/marine
Initiatives of this environmental nonprofit organization include the Sustainable Rivers Project in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean; marine initiatives to restore coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, and the Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation projects (http://www.freshwaters.org), one of which helped successfully restore to health Southern California's only undammed coastal river.
The Ocean Conservancy
http://www.oceanconservancy.org
A global organization with the vision of a world of healthy, protected oceans with wild and flourishing ecosystems, free of pollution, and filled with diverse and abundant marine wildlife. Nearly a million members, many of whom participate each September in the group's International Coastal Clean-up Day.
"My own contribution is
just a drop in the bucket
–but together our drops
make a flood"
A single person can make a difference, but sometimes it takes a group.
More voices, more money, more workers can influence a government to change its policies... can produce materials that will make people think... can galvanize public opinion to stop habitat devastation or prevent water quality degradation.
Some groups have a particular focus: surfers want clean beaches; marine biologists and fishers alike want thriving ocean habitats; canoeists want clear, clean lakes; broad-based environmental groups may concentrate on a specific location.