Ocean Foundation

TOF envisions a future in which human interaction with the ocean and coasts is more sustainable because we leverage a diverse, vibrant and engaged community of donors, grantees and projects to respond to urgent issues and seize on key opportunities. And, where members of the ocean conservation community are working together with a better understanding of potential solutions to emerging threats to the marine environment, along with greater capacity to implement those solutions.

TOF’s ten goals for the next ten years build on our strengths and best options for growth:

1) Continue to scope and track emerging issues in ocean and coastal conservation, by collating well-documented research and expert perspectives, participating in international fora, and making information and findings freely available to the public.
2) Follow leadership from our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Committee to take action both within the workplace and to influence the broader marine conservation community.
3) Expand community foundation services for implementers and donors.
4) Maintain a robust demand for our consulting services, including: (1) third party screening of ocean and climate related investments for asset owners, investment advisors, and venture capitalists, (2) philanthropic advising for newcomers to marine conservation philanthropy, and (3) strategic programmatic development.
5) Remain a leading public foundation that demonstrates ethical practices, accountability and transparency as cross-cutting values.
6) Establish a global network of well-trained ocean acidification science practitioners who are supported through well-designed ocean acidification adaptation and mitigation policies. TOF has developed and deployed affordable Ocean Acidification monitoring kits in priority areas around the world, offered capacity building training for scientists and drafted legislation for ocean acidification adaptation and mitigation planning.
7) Sequester / store carbon via nature-based solutions through the restoration and conservation of critical blue carbon habitats (including mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes) and the implementation of regenerative agricultural practices using seaweed-based inputs.
8) Develop and synthesize original science to inform a suite of legislative standards for the polymers and additives used in the production of plastics so that plastic has been reengineered to be Safe, Simple and Standardized.
9) Expand grantmaking services to provide multi-year support to projects and organizations that advance the field of marine conservation and invest in individuals and organizations with a unique, promising ability to address ocean threats.
10) Launch and deepen the Caribbean Marine Research and Conservation Initiative (CariMar) and TOF-Mexico through cultivation and maintenance of additional partner and government relationships and the identification of on-the-ground restoration sites.

We use our years of expertise to turn ocean visions into reality through advised funds, strategic partnerships, and diverse initiatives, and we nurture implementers by finding, evaluating, and supporting the most effective marine conservation projects and organizations. TOF also generates new ideas by focusing our collective expertise to generate cutting edge content on emerging threats to our coasts and ocean, potential solutions to those threats, and better strategies for implementing those solutions. In addition, we also scope emerging issues and provide what’s needed to catalyze actions quickly in urgent matters, and we foster networks of individuals interested in pushing the envelope, including facilitating dialogues among funders and experts, and expanding TOF’s role as an objective and authoritative source on ocean conservation.

Furthermore, TOF will take action through its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Committee both within the workplace and to influence the broader marine conservation community by continuing to implement equitable practices in all facets of the sector, from funding distribution to conservation actions. Examples of this organizational effort include our Marine Pathways paid internship program, which provides multiple opportunities to learn and grow professionally, and providing regular training to staff in D.E.I.J. issues to deepen understanding, address emerging issues, and build capacity to limit negative behaviors, and promote equity and inclusion.

Programmatically, TOF will 1) establish a global network of well-trained ocean acidification science practitioners who are supported through well-designed ocean acidification adaptation and mitigation policies by deploying affordable monitoring kits in priority areas around the world and provide direct training and technological assistance to local partners while identifying and filling major gaps in scientific capacity; 2) work across different habitat types and increase and restore abundance of ecosystems by making systems more productive than they were before to sequester and store carbon via nature-based solutions through restoration and conservation of critical blue carbon habitats; 3) develop and synthesize original science to inform legislative standards on plastic production by enabling five countries to introduce national and regional legislation to guide manufacturers on redesigning plastic while meeting locally-driven and specific goals.

TOF has experienced staff that together as a team offers decades of insight and specific skills to the marine community. Our staff has strong leadership and management skills, and is capable of handling a diversity of relationships, projects, grants, and programs. The staff is deeply experienced in capacity building, fiscal sponsorship, operations, administration, and finance as well as content knowledge on a vast array of marine issues. The Ocean Foundation has a diverse Board of Directors composed of individuals with expertise in a variety of disciplines, both within and outside of marine conservation. And, we rely on a group of over 150 experts on our Board of Advisors.

Over the past twenty years, TOF has directly overseen the allocation of $55.1 million in direct grants and services to protect and restore healthy ocean and coastal ecosystems around the world, and currently fiscally hosts more than 50 projects that span diverse conservation issues, emerging ocean threats, and implement ocean solutions globally.

Here is an overview of what TOF has accomplished in advancing each of its core initiatives:

International Ocean Acidification Initiative (IOAI)
To date, TOF has trained over 200 scientists and policymakers on ocean acidification (OA) monitoring and mitigation techniques, convened a host of regional workshops and has funded on-the-ground trainings around the world, in places like Mauritius, Mozambique, Fiji, Hawaii, Colombia, Panama and Mexico. In 2017, TOF put together a legislative guidebook, and model laws that lawmakers could use to design policy action. In 2018, TOF was invited to join the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) expert group on OA. In 2018 TOF also awarded nine “Pier-2-Peer” scholarships to mentor-mentee pairs in 16 countries, enabling collaboration and learning exchanges between scientists. In 2019, TOF provided an OA policy training for the Mexican Senate. In 2020, we adapted quickly to the global pandemic with a focus on digital training resources coupled with outgoing grants and equipment distribution.

Blue Resilience Initiative (BRI)
The Ocean Foundation has been involved in coastal restoration since 2008 and released the first-ever Blue Carbon Offset Calculator in 2012 to provide charitable carbon offsets through the restoration and conservation of important coastal habitats that sequester and store carbon, including seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and salt marshes.

Our accomplishments to-date in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico include restoring/expanding 5 acres of seagrass, enhancing protections for 22 acres of seagrass, and restoring 1 acre of mangrove trees. In these efforts, we held one workshop on long term monitoring with 40 participants. 45 local partners and volunteers are engaged in these habitat restoration efforts. We are currently on schedule to restore acres of mangrove and seagrass habitats in Jobos Bay as well as Vieques, Puerto Rico.


Redesigning Plastics Initiative (RPI):

The Ocean Foundation has always supported the cleanup and marine debris. TOF staff regularly updates its plastics resources webpage with the latest findings and research related to plastic pollution covering fields of policy, health, biodiversity, and more.

Since 2017, TOF has awarded research and cleanup grants, partnered with the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators to address plastic waste at the state legislative level, convened scientists with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, contracted legislation to draft policies about plastic and materials production, and much more.