Coastal and marine ecosystems
Contribute to wetland restoration and conservation, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and reduction in ocean waste as well as pollution.
The ocean covers 70 percent of the earth‘s surface and is crucial for all human life.1 It's home to over two million species, making it the most biodiverse ecosystem on earth.2 Also, the ocean is responsible for 50 percent of the Earth‘s oxygen from photosynthesis. And it provides temperature, weather and climate regulation – distributing heat by ocean currents and storing about 30 percent of CO2 emissions.3 The ocean also accounts for about 20 percent of worldwide animal protein consumption. And provides livelihoods for over three billion people, most of them living in developing countries.4
What to invest in now? We can support you to maximize your philanthropic impact in three areas:
What to invest in now? We can support you to maximize your philanthropic impact in three areas:
- Wetland restoration and conservation
- Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
- Ocean pollution and waste
Plants in wetlands are highly productive and thus a major carbon sink, absorbing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. But, as air temperature raises, so does water temperature. This means fewer plants to trap gases, and oxygen is less likely to dissolve in water. This causes wetlands to release an increasing amount of CO2 – current loss rates are estimated at one billion tons per year. This is more than the combined annual emissions of UK, Italy and France together.
The warming temperature also leads to a decline in the reproduction of fishes that rely on oxygen, a decreased productivity of fish stock, ultimately resulting in a loss of sea food in supply chains.
This is also the reason for increased illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing which is hard to monitor and control.
Increased pollution carried into our waterways is another issue – think of pesticides for example – negatively affecting our water quality, reducing our freshwater and irrigation. So is waste that ends up in water – microplastics slow CO2 sequestration as well as harming wildlife, ultimately leading to biodiversity losses and threats to food supplies.
A philanthropic investment in wetland restoration and conservation – key takeaways
A philanthropic investment in wetland restoration and conservation – key takeaways
Be strategic about your philanthropy
Be strategic about your philanthropy
We can help you maximize your impact in the area of ocean and marine conservation by focusing on three strategic areas.
A philanthropic investment in sustainable fisheries – key takeaways
A philanthropic investment in sustainable fisheries – key takeaways
Adaptation and resilient livelihoods for coastal communities depend on a sustainable approach to fisheries.
Be strategic about your philanthropy
Be strategic about your philanthropy
We can help you maximize your impact in the area of sustainable fisheries by focusing on three strategic areas.
A philanthropic investment in ocean pollution and waste – key takeaways
A philanthropic investment in ocean pollution and waste – key takeaways
Tackling pollution and waste upstream by reducing plastic consumption and production and addressing waste management can help to reduce biodiversity loss and enhance conservation as well as tackling climate mitigation. And reducing the inflow of plastics into the ocean will protect and conserve our valuable seascapes. Oceans play a fundamental role in mitigating climate change.
Be strategic about your philanthropy
Be strategic about your philanthropy
We can help you maximize your impact in the area of ocean pollution and waste by focusing on three strategic areas.