WHY OCEAN US
Ocean us is an international foundation that has set itself the ambitious goal of rebuilding the world’s oceans within one generation.
Why this major ambition?
Without ocean and water there is no life on this planet. But our ocean is currently in a depleted, half-empty state with some species on the brink of extinction.
In the last 70 years, the ocean has changed more dramatically than at any other time in human history. The deteriorating state of the oceans poses a serious threat not only to marine life, but also to our food security, coastal protection and climate regulation. What is worse, it will be our children and the generations to come who will have to suffer the consequences. This is unacceptable. Reversing this trend is a global, long-term challenge that we must take on now. It is time for action without ifs or buts. And put our ocean first, as the foundation of life on this planet.
According to science we have only a decade left to take the actions required to set the ocean on a path to recovery.
Our ocean is under severe threat, and our ability to restore it now will define the future of the next generations to populate this planet.
What has prevented action so far?
There is an alarming lack of financing. Ocean conservation is the least funded area within philanthropy and among all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 14 – “life below water” – is the least financed goal. This lack of investment clearly shows that we are not giving the ocean the existential significance it inherently has on this planet.
Why is our ocean key to solving the climate crisis?
Our ocean is the largest carbon sink in the biosphere. Thus, its recovery is crucial for mitigating the effects of climate change. In addition, more than a third of all carbon emissions come from the loss of our natural ecosystems. This makes rebuilding marine life one of the most important measures for combatting climate change, a measure with multiple co-benefits.
Is it possible to rebuild life in the ocean?
Even if the odds are low and it seems to be nearly impossible, there is increasing evidence that significant progress has been made in marine conservation. First of all, a striking recovery of once-threatened species has been documented. Moreover, there has been a rapid progression of marine protected areas, even if it has not been rapid enough, combined with an accelerated restoration of degraded marine habitats. These positive success stories need to be reported and brought to the attention of the general public. That has been missing. At Ocean us we redefine what is possible and turn our focus from ocean loss to ocean abundance to actively increase marine biodiversity.
Scientific study: Duarte et al., 2020, Rebuilding marine life. Nature 580: 39–51
OUR LOGO
The Fibonacci spiral
The logo of Ocean us represents the Fibonacci spiral that can be found on every level of existence, from spiral galaxies to seashells.
In everything we do at Ocean us, we activate the positive spiral of ocean bounty.
Please read the white paper to learn more about the positive spiral of ocean bounty, the symbol of the Ocean us logo.
