How We Work
What Guides Us
Our Vision
Oceans 5 bridges global and community-informed ocean conservation strategies, driving impact-oriented collaboration, grantmaking, policy advocacy, and leadership to support these efforts throughout the world’s ocean and coasts.
Our Mission
Oceans 5 envisions a restored and resilient ocean and thriving marine life that support healthy coastal communities for generations to come.
Delivering Impact
Our approach begins with expertise and credibility – making the case for ocean conservation and climate action clearly enough that donors, grantees, citizens and leaders can rally around it. Policy and regulation are central to our work. We prioritize efforts that lead to enforceable, lasting change in laws, regulations, and governance systems from the local to global level. This includes supporting politically informed, science-driven initiatives that deliver real, lasting protections for ocean ecosystems. We invest in diverse coalitions built on collaboration, trust, and mutual respect, so that conservation and climate efforts reflect a wide range of perspectives and lived experience. Together with our partners, we design, fund, and advance conservation strategies that are science-backed, community-informed, and innovative. This helps ensure that ocean conservation and climate initiatives are well resourced, strategically aligned, and positioned to deliver lasting, measurable impact.
We intentionally work behind the scenes. We focus on making progress happen rather than seeking visibility, serving as a convener and catalyst that helps align people, resources, and strategies toward shared goals. We work closely with partners to design and support campaigns that are rigorous, strategic, and grounded in a clear understanding of what is at stake for marine ecosystems and coastal communities – helping ensure that conservation efforts, especially those aimed at stopping overfishing, establishing effective marine reserves, and advancing ocean-climate solutions, are well resourced and positioned for durable impact.
We have a deep commitment to working with local and Indigenous partners that are rooted in their communities, bring lived experience and local knowledge, and are already actively engaged in conservation and governance processes. These partners are often best positioned to navigate local political landscapes, build trusted relationships, and advocate effectively for change.
We view our role as supporting and amplifying their leadership—respecting community priorities, fostering equitable partnerships, and ensuring that conservation outcomes deliver tangible, lasting benefits for both marine life and the people who depend on the ocean.
Oceans 5 works to build political will and advocate for policies that enable long-lasting success. Through work at the local, national, and global levels, we help proven conservation solutions reach more places and become part of lasting policy. By connecting these efforts, we seek to restore ocean health and help marine life and coastal communities thrive for generations to come.
Our Approach
Our approach at Oceans 5 is intentionally behind the scenes. We focus on making progress happen rather than seeking visibility, serving as a convener and catalyst that helps align people, resources, and strategies toward shared goals. We work closely with partners to design and support campaigns that are rigorous, strategic, and grounded in a clear understanding of what is at stake for marine ecosystems and coastal communities – helping ensure that conservation efforts, especially those aimed at stopping overfishing, establishing effective marine reserves, and advancing ocean-climate solutions, are well resourced and positioned for durable impact.
Policy and regulation are central to our work. We prioritize efforts that lead to enforceable, lasting change in laws, regulations, and governance systems from the local to global level. This includes supporting politically informed, science-driven initiatives that deliver real, lasting protections for ocean ecosystems.
At the core of Oceans 5’s approach is a deep commitment to working with local and Indigenous partners. We prioritize supporting organizations that are rooted in their communities, bring lived experience and local knowledge, and are already actively engaged in conservation and governance processes. These partners are often best positioned to navigate local political landscapes, build trusted relationships, and advocate effectively for change.
We view our role as supporting and amplifying their leadership—respecting community priorities, fostering equitable partnerships, and ensuring that conservation outcomes deliver tangible, lasting benefits for both marine life and the people who depend on the ocean.
