"The will to understand, conserve, and protect ocean life is at the very core of the Ocean Conservatory's mission. To fulfill this mission, the Ocean Conservatory seeks to: protect marine ecosystems, prevent marine pollution, protect endangered marine species, manage fisheries for conservation, and conserve marine biodiversity." Since its founding in 1972, the Ocean Conservatory (formerly the Center for Marine Conservation) has worked toward these goals. The endangered species the group helps to protect include, among many others, whales, dolphins, seabirds, seals and sea lions, and sea turtles.

Over 110,000 Ocean Conservatory members nationwide volunteer their time in many different ways, including writing to Congress asking for support of marine conservation, and organizing or participating in beach cleanups across the country. In 1988, for example, more than 16,000 people took part in beach cleanups in Florida and Texas. This number grew and in 2000, 850,000 people cleaned over 20,000 mi (32,187 km) of...