Dear NRDC Supporter,

Today is World Oceans Day, and I wanted to take this moment to share why our waters are so important to me — and the urgent work NRDC is doing to protect them.

Our ocean sustains life on Earth. It helps keep the planet livable and is home to an extraordinary range of wildlife from sea turtles gliding through seagrass to colorful coral reefs buzzing with animation.

There is more life in the ocean than we’ve even discovered, and it’s all part of a delicate, interconnected web.

But this vibrant world is in crisis. And the consequences are rippling far beyond the water.

Climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss are pushing entire ecosystems to the brink. Reefs are dying. Fisheries are collapsing. Species like the vaquita and North Atlantic right whale are slipping toward extinction.

But this future isn’t inevitable. And NRDC is fighting to turn the tide.

This World Oceans Day, here’s a look at the urgent work ahead to defend our waters.

Current Battles:

• Challenging the Trump administration’s illegal attempt to open more than 625 million acres of U.S. waters to offshore oil and gas drilling. We’ve fought and won this battle before, and we’re confident we can win again. [Explore the case]
• Opposing a massive liquefied natural gas project in Mexico’s Gulf of California, which threatens endangered marine species and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [Get involved]
• Suing to protect critically endangered Rice's whales from oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. [See the press release]
• Supporting the ratification of a high seas treaty at the United Nations, which lays the legal groundwork for the establishment of large-scale, fully and highly protected marine protected areas and provides tools to protect ocean ecosystems. [Read the explainer]
• Protecting marine mammals from ocean noise pollution by advocating for new ship quieting regulations at the International Maritime Organization [Get the info]
• Working to establish strong protections for key areas on the Blake Plateau, a remarkable hotspot of marine life offshore the Southeast U.S. that’s home to the world’s largest expanse of deep-sea coral habitat. [Watch the video]
• Advancing policies to combat the global illegal fishing crisis, which depletes fish populations and harms U.S. fishing communities seeking a fair price for their catch, and to enforce against labor abuses that frequently prop up these destructive practices. [Learn more here]

The ocean is our climate, our future, and our home. From our weather and our food to our pristine beaches and thriving coastal economies, the health of our ocean reflects the health of the planet itself.

When we protect the ocean, we’re defending a living system that makes existence on Earth possible.

If you’re able, please consider a donation to protect our ocean, our climate, and our future.

Thank you for standing with NRDC this World Oceans Day.

Sincerely,

Taryn Kiekow Heimer
Director, Ocean Energy, NRDC