Celebrating Marine Champions on World Oceans Day
To raise awareness of the critical role the ocean plays in our lives and the importance of protecting it, World Oceans Day was first proposed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Thirty-two years later, on June 8, World Oceans Day will inspire public and philanthropic investments designed to safeguard our ocean, amplify the increasingly dire state of our marine environment, and implore urgent and collective action to reverse harms and protect an ecosystem vital to the future of our planet.
The ocean’s role as a huge carbon sink depends on maintaining its rich biodiversity. Despite oceans covering over 70% of our planet’s surface, just 3% is considered “effectively protected.” Coastal development, overfishing, illegal practices, marine pollution, and climate change continue to severely endanger our oceans and threaten the well-being of communities reliant on healthy marine ecosystems.
The Moore Charitable Foundation has long focused on protecting marine environments and coastal communities. In Panama, affiliate Islas Secas Foundation funding supports marine conservation, research, and habitat protection in the Bay of Chiriquí area. Partnerships and work range from Wetlands International’s mangrove restoration and advocacy, and a carbon offset pre-feasibility study of the Gulf of Chiriquí; MarViva’s coordination of local authorities, scientific expertise, and local fishing communities in marine spatial planning for the Gulf of Chiriquí; and Panacetacea near 20-year annual research expedition to monitor two distinct populations of humpback whales for informed management practices.
MCF’s affiliate Moore Bahamas Foundation supports research, environmental education, and advocacy organizations that protect the unique and fragile marine environment of the island nation. From Cape Eleuthera Foundation’s sustainable stone crab fishery work educating local fishers on best-practice claw removal; to Perry Institute of Marine Science’s Nassau Grouper, Queen Conch and coral conservation; to Bahamas Mangrove Alliance’s mangrove restoration, grassroots advocacy, and education, we are proud to support critical efforts that enhance marine protections, sustainable fisheries, and conservation policy change.
MCF also embraces marine funders collaboratives to amplify global conservation initiatives, leveraging collective wisdom, experience, and resources. We are members of Oceans 5, an international funders’ collaborative dedicated to stopping overfishing, establishing marine protected areas, and constraining offshore oil and gas development; and Shark Conservation Fund, a collaboration of philanthropists dedicated to restoring ocean health through sweeping shark and ray conservation.
By encouraging collaboration within the marine conservation movement, we can amplify our impact and ensure the long-term viability of these vital ecosystems for generations to come.
