The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

What You Can Do

Oceans need our help to stay healthy. And no matter where you live, you need healthy oceans to support your daily life – air to breathe, food to eat, places to work and play. With your support, we can change the course for our oceans and coasts and the people who depend on them. Even small changes can make a difference. Here's how you can help:

Reduce your plastic consumption

The most frequently collected items during beach cleanups are made of plastic — think reusable shopping bags, water bottles and utensils.

Make informed seafood choices

Use Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch or text Blue Ocean’s FishPhone to help you choose sustainable seafood at the grocery store or a restaurant.

Dispose of chemicals properly

Never pour chemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil or paint into the drain or toilets. Check with your county’s household hazardous waste program to properly dispose of or recycle chemicals and keep them out of rivers and oceans.

Choose green detergents and household cleaners—or make your own

Besides being better for your own health, these products are safer for the environment since what goes down the drain can end up in our oceans.

Get the dirt on your beachside retreat

Before you stay in a hotel on the coast, ask staff what happens to their sewage and swimming pool water, and if they source their restaurant fish from sustainable sources.

Find out the source of your food

Buying local, organic food reduces your carbon footprint, supports the local economy and reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that end up not just in your stomach, but as run-off in rivers and oceans, too.

Fill your yard with native species

Reducing the amount of grass in your lawn by planting native shrubs and flower beds will provide a better habitat for birds and other wildlife and require far less water and fertilizer, which can seep into the oceans.