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About The Lenfest Ocean Program

The world's oceans are vitally important to all life on Earth. The ocean provides many benefits for people worldwide, from supplying sixteen percent of the world's animal protein to providing clean beaches for recreation. However, human activities are altering marine systems in highly detrimental ways which, unless curtailed, will have negative consequences for both people and the environment. Although many human activities impact ocean health, fishing causes some of the most significant harm to the marine environment. Industrial fishing operations have become very efficient at extracting large volumes of fish from the ocean. Many fishing methods also damage ocean habitat and catch unwanted marine life such as sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds and non-target fish that are thrown back dead or dying into the sea.

Compared to our understanding of terrestrial systems, relatively little is known about life in the ocean. In order to manage the oceans' living resources effectively, more information is needed about the impacts of human activities on the marine environment, and how to manage them effectively. To address these needs, the Lenfest Ocean Program brings the best scientific research to bear on identifying the causes, consequences and solutions to problems facing the global marine environment. The Program also ensures that its research results are delivered effectively to decision makers and the public who can take action based on the findings.

Supporting Research

The Lenfest Ocean Program supports marine research that will be useful in formulating solutions to ocean problems. Lenfest Ocean Program staff members consult with scientists, advocates and decision makers to identify policy-relevant research questions. A critical factor in developing the Program's research projects is the extent to which the research will be directly relevant to marine policy decisions.

The Program focuses its work on fisheries issues because fishing arguably has the greatest impact on marine resources, and because many of these impacts can be reversed with improved fisheries management.

Communicating Research Results

A critical step in generating policy-relevant scientific analysis is communicating it to stakeholders. Because of our commitment to informing marine policy, the Lenfest Ocean Program invests substantial time and resources in ensuring that the results of the research we support are delivered effectively to decision makers and the public. For each project that we support, we work with the scientist to develop and implement a communications and outreach plan. This usually includes: (1) preparing and distributing a short Lenfest Ocean Program Research Series report that summarizes the research and places it in a policy context, (2) working with the scientist to generate media coverage, and (3) arranging for the scientist to brief decision makers on his or her findings. To view Lenfest Ocean Program Research Series reports, click here.

The Lenfest Ocean Program was established in July 2004 by the Lenfest Foundation at The Pew Charitable Trusts. The establishment of the Program coincided with heightened interest in conservation of ocean wildlife and investment in marine research. Two national commissions — the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy — both called for national policies to reverse the decline in the health of ocean habitat and wildlife. The two commissions also recommended doubling the federal budget for ocean research.