Blue Ocean Institute
Encyclopedia
Blue Ocean Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation organization headquartered in East Norwich, New York, that was founded in 2003 by MacArthur Fellow Dr. Carl Safina
(president) and collaborator Mercédès Lee. A central focus of Blue Ocean Institute is to inspire a closer relationship with the sea through science, art, and literature. It shares information that enlightens personal choice, to instill hope and help restore living abundance in the sea. The organization goes beyond reporting of scientific data on the peril faced by ocean life, to touch people on a more human level.
from Rutgers University
, is the author of several acclaimed books and more than 100 scientific and popular publications on ecology and oceans.
Blue Ocean Institute is staffed by research scientists, writers and fisheries experts. Its board members have diverse backgrounds in publishing, science, energy, art, and other fields. It is funded primarily by foundations and individual gifts.
affects people, wildlife and the sea. Dr. Safina and his team also research and communicate newly emerging ocean-related aspects of climate change, for both scientific and non-technical audiences, in outlets ranging from science journals to faith-based magazines.
Part of Blue Ocean Institute's message is that we must take care of the ocean if we want it to continue taking care of us. "When people defend their fishing," Dr. Safina has said, "their fishing gets worse; when they defend their fish, their fishing gets good."
Central to Blue Ocean Institute is the concept of a Sea Ethic – an invitation to forge a stronger, more conscious connection to nature, especially the sea. Rather than focusing on the dire state of the world’s oceans, BOI’s efforts aim to inspire a deep and compelling commitment to conserve the ocean's richness, beauty and diversity.
Carl Safina’s writings and nationwide speaking bridge the gap between the scientific and literary worlds, capturing the mystery, wonder, and importance of the sea and its creatures with hope and optimism.
In addition, the organization works with Atlantis Marine World
Aquarium, introducing some 15,000 school children annually to the local saltwater environment, and offers Next Wave, a program to present an ocean literacy curriculum to middle school and high students.
Selected Partnerships
Carl Safina
Carl Safina is president and co-founder of the , and author of several writings on marine ecology and the ocean, including the award winning and .-Biography:...
(president) and collaborator Mercédès Lee. A central focus of Blue Ocean Institute is to inspire a closer relationship with the sea through science, art, and literature. It shares information that enlightens personal choice, to instill hope and help restore living abundance in the sea. The organization goes beyond reporting of scientific data on the peril faced by ocean life, to touch people on a more human level.
Organization
Dr. Safina, a MacArthur fellow with a PhD in EcologyEcology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, is the author of several acclaimed books and more than 100 scientific and popular publications on ecology and oceans.
Blue Ocean Institute is staffed by research scientists, writers and fisheries experts. Its board members have diverse backgrounds in publishing, science, energy, art, and other fields. It is funded primarily by foundations and individual gifts.
Areas of Focus
The organization’s programs are designed to inspire effective actions for the ocean – whether they be consumers buying sustainable seafood using the Guides to Ocean Friendly Seafood and Sushi; commercial fishermen rigging gear to avoid the unintended entrapment of seabirds, and sea turtles; or understanding how climate changeClimate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
affects people, wildlife and the sea. Dr. Safina and his team also research and communicate newly emerging ocean-related aspects of climate change, for both scientific and non-technical audiences, in outlets ranging from science journals to faith-based magazines.
Part of Blue Ocean Institute's message is that we must take care of the ocean if we want it to continue taking care of us. "When people defend their fishing," Dr. Safina has said, "their fishing gets worse; when they defend their fish, their fishing gets good."
Central to Blue Ocean Institute is the concept of a Sea Ethic – an invitation to forge a stronger, more conscious connection to nature, especially the sea. Rather than focusing on the dire state of the world’s oceans, BOI’s efforts aim to inspire a deep and compelling commitment to conserve the ocean's richness, beauty and diversity.
Carl Safina’s writings and nationwide speaking bridge the gap between the scientific and literary worlds, capturing the mystery, wonder, and importance of the sea and its creatures with hope and optimism.
Education Efforts
Blue Ocean Institute’s science office is based at Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), where Dr. Safina is an adjunct professor. The organization has a partnership with SoMAS to conduct research, teach courses, work with students, and plan new collaborations in order to strengthen public understanding of emerging climate and ocean issues.In addition, the organization works with Atlantis Marine World
Atlantis Marine World
Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center is a museum with an Atlantis theme which opened in 2000 on Long Island in Riverhead, New York, United States....
Aquarium, introducing some 15,000 school children annually to the local saltwater environment, and offers Next Wave, a program to present an ocean literacy curriculum to middle school and high students.
Selected Partnerships
- Chefs Collaborative
- Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)
- Lindblad Expeditions
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Atlantis Marine World
- Duke University Marine Laboratory
- Monterey Bay Aquarium