Marine Conservation Institute is dedicated to securing permanent, strong protection for the oceans’ most important places – for us and future generations.
The ocean is the Earth’s biggest life support system — the oxygen for every second breath we take comes from it. Healthy marine ecosystems are essential for human survival, wealth and well-being. As a leader in the global movement to protect vast ocean areas, Marine Conservation Institute uses the latest science to identify important marine ecosystems and advocate for their protection.
We work with scientists, politicians, government officials and other organizations to build workable solutions to pressing ocean issues. Our unique effectiveness comes from our vision, expertise and our willingness to partner with others. Since starting as the vision of one person in 1996, Marine Conservation Institute has become a major player in the effort to save our blue planet.
Our priority is to help create an urgently-needed worldwide system of strongly protected areas—the Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES, pronounced “glories”)—as a strategic way to ensure the future diversity and abundance of marine life. To enhance marine protection efforts in the U.S. and around the globe, we also built and maintain the world’s most comprehensive online marine protected area database, the Atlas of Marine Protection.
