50 Ways To Save the Ocean

There must be, 50 ways to save the ocean….

Think appreciating the ocean will take tons of time you don’t have? Think again. David Helvarg, founder and executive director of the Blue Frontier Campaign and author of five books – including 50 Ways to Save the Ocean– has put this easy-to-do list together for you.

If you need to take these ideas on the road with you and you think having a personal of 50 Ways to Save the Ocean might be easier as a daily reminder, leave a comment below and you’ll be in the running to win your very own copy.

1. Go to the beach.
2. Visit an aquarium.
3. Eat organic and vegetarian foods whenever possible.
4. If you chose to eat seafood make sure it’s sustainable.
5. Grow a natural yard and garden.
6. Maintain an earth (and ocean) friendly driveway. If that works try a green roof.
7. Reduce toxic household pollutants.
8. Drive a fuel-efficient car, car pool, or use public transit.
9. Don’t use your storm drain as a toilet.
10. Support Marine Education in our schools.
11. Support your local swamp.
12. Restore a stream, river or watershed.
13. Get Married on a Wild Beach
14. Build or buy wells back from the beach.
15. Upgrade your house above hurricane code.
16. When diving – take only pictures, leave only bubbles.
17. Count the fish, then do some light housekeeping for them.
18. Join in a beach cleanup.
19. Don’t waste water.
20. Save energy for yourself and the sea.
21. Protect the dunes so they’ll protect you.
22. Be a Blue Boater.
23. Go slow around Manatees, birds and other boats.
24. Go to a zoning board meeting.
25. Join a marine mammal rescue center.
26. Be a marine sanctuary volunteer.
27. Create your own wilderness parks under the sea.
28. Keep an ocean-friendly aquarium.
29. Don’t dump “exotic” plants and animals.
30. Don’t shell out for sea turtle products.
31. Don’t feed the sharks (or let them feed on you).
32. Go on a whale-watching trip.
33. Take your kids to a tide pool.
34. Take your kids surfing (or have them take you).
35. Use less plastic.
36. Fish for fun, food and the future.
37. Find out if your cruise ship is ocean friendly.
38. Walk on whatever beach you want.
39. Learn your local maritime history.
40. Get to know a Coastie.
41. Don’t buy coral jewelry or (sea) snake oil remedies.
42. Be a careful consumer and traveler.
43. Talk to your cousin in Kansas about the weather.
44. Learn the tides and the navigation charts.
45. Join an ocean expedition from your home computer or in person.
46. Keep oil off your shore.
47. Buy an ocean-friendly license plate.
48. Find joy and solace in the sea and talk about it in your place of worship.
49. Vote the coast.
50. Be a seaweed rebel.

David Helvarg is founder and executive director of Blue Frontier Campaign and author of five books, four of them on the ocean including 50 Ways to Save the Ocean. A long time journalist, he worked as a war correspondent in Northern Ireland and Central America and covered climate change impacts from Washington, D.C. to Antarctica.

Image:Maks Karochkin