You are seeing this message because your web browser does not support basic web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.
Our oceans are a vital resource, providing us with the water we swim in, the fish we eat and some of the medicines we need. Oceans give us oxygen and help regulate the climate. Coastal waters support billions of dollars in coastal economies and millions of jobs. Our lives depend on healthy oceans. Here's how we can bring them back from the brink.
Pass a National Healthy Oceans Act
The United States needs a Healthy Oceans Act to provide a strong, cohesive national policy to revitalize the oceans. National leadership is necessary to reduce pollution, protect ocean habitats and coordinate regional and state efforts to manage the coasts and oceans. A Healthy Oceans Act would establish a federal oceans council led by a national oceans adviser, charged with protecting, maintaining and restoring healthy marine ecosystems. NRDC is working to build support for national legislation that will protect and restore ocean life and ensure coordination between federal, state and regional agencies. An integrated approach is the only way to ensure that our oceans remain in balance and support a wide variety of life.
Learn more and support a national Healthy Oceans Act.
Create Underwater Parks
Governments started creating parks and wilderness reserves on land more than a century ago; it's time to do the same for the ocean. Less than 1 percent of the ocean is protected, and much of the protection is in name only. Preserving special places in the wild ocean will give fish a safe place to reproduce and raise their young, and provide a haven for other ocean life as well. Studies show that protected marine areas have bigger fish, greater diversity of life and higher productivity than similar areas that are open to fishing. Establishing protected marine areas is one of the best ways we can ensure the ocean’s ability to sustain and restore its extraordinary diversity of life.
Dive into Point Lobos Marine Reserve.
Buy Sustainable Seafood
Sustainable seafood species are abundant, and they are caught or farmed in an environmentally friendly manner. Some of the fish you see on restaurant menus and at your grocery store could be struggling to recover from decades of intense fishing or could be caught or raised in a way that damages the environment or endangers other marine wildlife. By choosing sustainably caught or sustainably farmed seafood, you put your consumer dollars behind environmentally friendly fishing practices, and you give species under pressure a break.
NRDC is a member of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, a group of organizations that help businesses that buy and sell seafood move towards environmentally responsible seafood policies. By identifying a clear and consistent vision for sustainable seafood, NRDC and other alliance members seek to ensure a long-lasting seafood supply and preserve the health of ocean and freshwater ecosystems.
Get inspired by our collection of sustainable seafood recipes.
End Destructive Fishing Practices
Decades of excessive and wasteful fishing and destructive bottom trawling have taken a tremendous toll on ocean fish populations. The number of fish we catch should be decided by science, not politics, to give depleted fish a chance to rebuild their populations. NRDC is working to establish observer programs to help collect reliable data on our fisheries. Independent scientific observers let managers know which fish are being tossed away, and where and when. With reliable data in hand, we can figure out the best ways to reduce the number of fish caught unintentionally and discarded. The United States should support international efforts to place a moratorium on unregulated bottom trawling on the high seas -- which razes deep-sea coral and other habitat on the ocean floor.
Reduce Coastal Water Pollution
Protecting our coastlines, wetlands and shellfish beds from harmful development can help reduce the damage to natural systems that filter pollution from water. NRDC is working to keep nutrient pollution out of coastal waters by controlling pollution from farms and pressing the government to keep a tighter rein on sewage treatment plant discharges. NRDC also works with coastal communities to develop green strategies to filter pollution from stormwater that runs off paved surfaces. Green roofs, planters and absorbent pavement, for example, can help soak up stormwater before it carries waste into the ocean.
Get tips on reducing water pollution from your home.
Restrict Military Sonar
Whales and other marine mammals shouldn't have to die for military practice. After years of attempts to engage the U.S. Navy in constructive dialogue about the dangers of high-intensity sonar, NRDC and other groups filed suit in federal court, asking that the Navy use common-sense precautions during sonar training exercises. The precautions could include putting marine mammal habitats off limits; avoiding migration routes and feeding or breeding areas when marine mammals are present; and listening with passive sonar to ensure marine mammals are not in the testing area before switching on active sonar.
Watch our video and take action to save whales.
Curb Global Warming
Global warming is already heating up the ocean and damaging coral reefs, and it is predicted to have a major impact on our coastlines in the form of rising sea levels and more intense storms. Excess carbon dioxide is also making the ocean more acidic -- which could cause dramatic shifts in ocean life. We can curb such effects by setting firm limits on the carbon dioxide pollution we generate from cars and power plants, and by shifting to cleaner sources of energy, such as wind, solar power and sustainably grown biofuels. At home, start with simple steps, such as keeping your tires inflated and swapping regular light bulbs for energy-saving compact fluorescents.
Get on the map and help beat the heat!
