5 Ways You Can Help Save The Ocean

Photo by Jerry Skinner / CC BY

With the announcement of Jersey Surf’s 2019 program FantaSEA, the Jersey Surf naturally has the ocean on our collective mind. In addition to providing our signature brand of summer entertainment, we want to drive up awareness around ocean preservation and ways each and every one of us can help.

Reduce the use of single-use plastic products.

Our use of single-plastic products is one of the biggest environmental threats we face, and it’s of particular threat to our ocean and the organisms that inhabit it.

Our friends at PLASTAWAY encourage individuals to reduce their use of plastic products wherever they can, advocating for things as simple as bringing your own shopping bag to the supermarket to opting for a refillable water bottle over soft drinks packaged in plastic.

Check out plastaway.org to learn more about how you can make a difference.

Take steps to reduce your carbon footprint

While it’s nearly impossible to completely eliminate your carbon footprint, you can take steps to reduce it. Simple actions like eating less meat, opting for public transportation or a bicycle for your daily commute or unplugging your electronic devices when they aren’t in use can make a difference.

Keep the ocean in mind when shopping for food or household items

Making your shopping list more eco-friendly isn’t as hard as it seems. 

Bringing your own reusable shopping bag from home is the first step. After that, it helps to know where your seafood is coming from as issues like overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices are harmful to the ocean’s ecosystem. 

Organizations like NOAA’s Fishwise are brokering partnerships with retailers and food corporations to raise awareness around this issue and there are tools Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Fish Watch App that you can use to cross-reference with your shopping list.

Treat the beach the same way you would your own home

We all love a day at the beach. There are few things more fun than hitting the shore for the day with a comfy chair and a cooler full of drinks and maybe some lunch. However, beach litter continues to be a massive problem.

You can help by bringing a trash bag with you and ensuring that you dispose of all refuse before you leave, picking up after your pets if you’re able to bring them and of course opting for reusable containers over single-use plastics.

If you’re feeling generous, picking up any other trash you see around you, even if it isn’t yours, goes a long way as well.

Support Marine Conservation Organizations

There are organizations out there whose sole purpose is the preservation of the ocean the life within it. Make a donation or find ways you can volunteer your time in the service of making the ocean, and the planet Earth, a better place.

Here are some of our favorites:

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

The Foundation is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, working with communities to conserve and expand those special places for a healthy ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. Working together, we safeguard species and the places they call home and preserve America’s maritime resources.

Conservation International

Humanity is totally dependent on nature, and by saving nature, we’re saving ourselves. To that end, Conservation International is working to build a healthier, more prosperous and more productive planet. We do this through science, policy, and partnerships with countries, communities, and companies. We employ nearly 1,000 people and work with more than 2,000 partners in 30 countries. Over the years, we have helped support 1,200 protected areas and interventions across 77 countries, protecting more than 601 million hectares of land, marine and coastal areas.​​

Ocean Conservancy

Ocean Conservancy champions science-based solutions to tackle the largest ocean conservation challenges we face and collaborates with partners to strengthen the health of the ocean for future generations. We mobilize citizen advocates to facilitate change, and we are committed to supporting efforts that benefit the people who depend on the ocean for food, jobs, and recreation. Ocean Conservancy shapes the political agenda for the ocean so sound decisions are made that sustain our planet and improve lives.