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Our Programs

Government Relations

Protecting the ocean in the halls of power

Ocean Conservancy has more than a million members and supporters from across the country.

Our supporters come from all walks of life and beliefs but are brought together by one thing: a desire to protect the ocean that they love.

Ocean Conservancy’s Government Relations team works to ensure that these voices are heard in the halls of power. From our headquarters in Washington DC, we’re working to ensure that our ocean gets the funding and attention it requires. From fighting for marine debris funding to promoting ocean acidification research and protecting key provisions of the Magnuson Stevens Act—our Government Relations team advocates for our ocean and the people who care about them.

The Problem

Washington may be partisan, but our ocean is not.

Our politics are more divided than ever. Programs protecting our ocean and those who depend on them are facing unprecedented challenges. The threats to our ocean are serious and have implications far beyond the reaches of America’s shorelines, but lawmakers and member s of the administration don’t always see the tangible impacts of those problems. If ocean advocates like you don’t speak up for the ocean, who will?

The Solution

We support pragmatic solutions to our ocean’s most pressing problems.

Ocean Conservancy’s Government Relations team is focused on creating and supporting pragmatic solutions to our ocean’s most pressing problems. We bring the ocean to Congress by connecting coastal stakeholders and the ocean community to their legislative leaders.

The first step to protecting our ocean is to just show up. Democracy is not a spectator sport. As the old Washington saying goes: If you’re not at the table, you might be on the menu!

Every time we ask you to call or email your member of Congress or the head of an agency, our team at Ocean Conservancy is working hard to make YOU heard. Just like clownfish and sea anemones our relationship is mutualistic—we must work together to get this important job done.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Ocean Conservancy supports smart, pragmatic solutions to our oceans most pressing problems. We’re non-partisan and we work on both sides of the aisle to get things done for our ocean and the people who depend on it.

Oil & Gas

Support a Just Transition Away from Dirty Fossil Fuels

The Latest

4 Reasons Why a Government Shutdown is Bad for Our Ocean
4 Reasons Why a Government Shutdown is Bad for Our Ocean

In the halls of Congress, legislators are at a standstill on funding the federal government for the…

Jeff Watters

Vice President of External Affairs

Dos and Don
Dos and Don’ts for Decommissioning

Climate change is the single biggest challenge the ocean faces. We can’t have a healthy future fo…

Andrew Hartsig

Senior Director, Arctic Program

Keep Up the Momentum for NOAA
Keep Up the Momentum for NOAA’s Budget

There’s been much debate swirling in the news of the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2024 budg…

Katherine Tsantiris

Director, Government Relations

Protecting the Ocean Means Protecting Communities
Protecting the Ocean Means Protecting Communities

Post updated on November 1, 2023. On October 25, 2023, Senator Merkley (D-OR) and Representative…

Aarthi Ananthanarayanan

Climate and Plastics Initiative Director

Why NEPA is Critical for Coastal Communities
Why NEPA is Critical for Coastal Communities

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a critical environmental and civil rights law that …

Janis Searles Jones

Chief Executive Officer

Funding Brighter Future for NOAA
Funding Brighter Future for NOAA

One of Ocean Conservancy’s goals each year is to help ensure that our nation’s premier ocean age…

Adam Mistler

National Outreach Manager

Reflections on Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2022
Reflections on Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2022

I had the pleasure of moderating a panel on ocean justice at Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW). This ye…

Francisco “Paco” Ollervides

Former Director of Ocean Climate Justice

Biden Administration Decision Curbs New Drilling
Biden Administration Decision Curbs New Drilling

At the beginning of May, the Biden administration canceled proposed offshore oil and gas lease sales…

Andrew Hartsig

Senior Director, Arctic Program

Make a Difference for Our Ocean

Support from donors like you is critical to develop solutions to our ocean’s greatest challenges, like plastic pollution, risky drilling and the climate crisis. Make a gift today to this essential conservation work and be a part of our vision for a healthier ocean. We can’t do it without you.

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