The latest ocean conservation initiatives

We like to focus on the positive here at Love Ocean and while our oceans are facing a lot of threats, we thought it would be good to take a look at some of the projects doing great things for conservation.

The Ocean Cleanup

This group has been tackling the huge problem of plastic pollution for more than 10 years and has removed millions of kilograms of it from our oceans. A lot of their focus has been on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between Hawaii and California. They are constantly looking at new ways for extracting the plastic and have developed floating systems to capture everything from tiny plastic to large debris. It hopes to be able to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.

We just need more work to be done on stopping people putting it into the oceans in the first place!

The Global Ocean Treaty 

In March 2023 Greenpeace’s decades of hard work and campaigning paid off when the UN agreed to a Global Ocean Treaty to set out rules and tools for protecting the world’s oceans. Its creation provides a pathway for creating ocean sanctuaries, like national parks at sea, around the globe. Over five million people signed the Greepeace petition calling for the treaty and the charity says it was the “biggest conservation victory ever”.

Ocean sanctuaries are important breeding grounds for animals, or contain coral reefs or kelp forests which need protecting. It is hoped that these areas can be a refuge away from fishing or other human activities.

Sky Ocean Rescue

The media company has been working with WWF-UK since 2017 to protect the oceans around Europe and safeguard the UK’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). One example of the amazing work they’ve been doing is Project Seagrass which involved planting over 1.2 million seagrass seeds in new meadows in West Wales. The company also committed £25m to invest in new ideas for reducing marine plastic pollution.

Surfers Against Sewage

This is a fantastic organisation which has been leading the campaign for cleaner waters in and around the UK. While leading the fight against sewage being pumped into our rivers and seas, they also raise awareness of plastic pollution. Thousands of people have become involved in the organisation as local activists, working to clean up their local area and bring the polluters to account. As huge fans of Britain’s beaches and sea swimming, we’re so grateful for all of the hard work SAS does every day.

The Ocean Conservation Trust

This is another wonderful charity raising awareness of the importance of our oceans. Their Dip in the Sea campaign helps people who may not spend time on our coastlines and in the sea. The trust collects donations of swimwear, buckets and spades to help local communities enjoy our beaches. It believes that if people have positive attitudes towards our oceans they will do more to protect it in the future. And we couldn’t agree more!