A New Funding Program and A New Ocean Watch Essay for Sailors for the Sea - Sailors for the Sea

A New Funding Program and A New Ocean Watch Essay for Sailors for the Sea

Press Release

New Funding Program – Ocean Guardian – for Sailors for the Sea Recognizes Philanthropic Investors Committed to Ocean Conservation with a Passion for Sailing. Organization publishes essay about the dangers of bioaccumulation.

Newport, Rhode Island – February 17, 2010 – Sailors for the Sea, the only ocean conservation group focused on the sailing and boating community, today announces the launch of its new Ocean Guardian funding effort that recognizes significant philanthropic investors who support ocean conservation and have a passion for sailing. The organization also published its latest Ocean Watch Essay focused on the dangers of bioaccumulation.

According to Dan Pingaro, CEO, Sailors for the Sea, “More than most people, sailors have a deep personal appreciation for our oceans but many are not aware of the severe problems facing the world’s oceans, the sport of sailing and the lives that rely upon these water.”

In 2004, David Rockefeller, Jr. founded Sailors for the Sea because of his work on the Pew Oceans Commission, which identified profound and alarming ocean health issues. As a life-long sailor, David was disturbed by the fact that sailors had not joined forces, like surfers and fishermen, to take an active role in preserving the ocean. In fact, ocean conservation is consistently under represented in regional, national and international conservation efforts. “The Ocean Guardian effort invites individuals to support our young and much needed ocean conservation organization with financial contributions beginning at $500,” said Pingaro. “An Ocean Guardian is an important philanthropic investor, who values providing the much needed financial support that will help strengthen and grow Sailors for the Sea.”

Issuing Drawing Attention of Sailors for the Sea
Sailors for the Sea works with the cruising and yacht racing communities, marine trade industry, sailing media, and public to increase the level of protection and restoration of oceans and coastal waters. Sailors for the Sea leverages every dollar of support by collaborating with nonprofits, local governments and business through unique programs, bold special projects, and education that directly addresses the issues, like ocean acidification, coral reef bleaching, polar ice melt, overfishing and pollution, which threaten oceans worldwide.

Many of these issues have served as the central theme for the organization’s Ocean Watch Essay program. The most recently published essay – “Bioaccumulation – Are We Poisoning Ourselves? Can We Reverse Course?” – takes a hard look at the process by which contaminants like mercury, arsenic, and PCBs, concentrate and magnify to affect the entire world ecosystems from oceans to humans. While it is unclear if this trend can be reversed, the essay identifies key sources for the toxic pollutants, like plastic debris, centuries of industrial waste dumping, improperly dumped hazardous waste and chemical-based pharmaceutical (antibiotics, anti-depressants, hormones, etc.) excreted into the waste stream, overuse of pesticides and herbicides, etc., and provides suggested ways to slow its course.

Ocean Guardianship at Work
Ocean Guardian support empowers Sailors for the Sea to administer Clean Regattas, a certification program that educates and commits race organizers and participants to adhere to practices that minimize their environmental footprint. This program has grown from 4,000 participants in 2008 to over 25,000 participants in 2009.

These charitable investments also support projects like Around the Americas, a 24,000-mile public education and scientific expedition lead by Captain Mark Schrader aboard s/v Ocean Watch. Around the Americas promotes ocean health to the public while engaging in valuable experiments and data collection that contribute to the scientific community’s effort to document the rapid deterioration of our oceans. Additional projects include:

* the award-winning documentary A Sea Change, the first international film to focus on ocean acidification
* the web-based Ocean Watch Essays which provides information on current ocean conservation issues and resources for those who commit themselves to ocean stewardship

Support will also help develop the Certified Sea Friendly program, a voluntary, LEED-inspired certification program designed to transform the marine manufacturing industry and make the construction, maintenance and operation of vessels more environmentally friendly. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lauren Curley
781 383 6406
lcurley@comcast.net 

About Sailors for the Sea
Founded in 2004, Sailors for the Sea is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. For more information on or to participate in any of the Sailors for the Sea programs, or to become a member and support the organization, visitwww.sailorsforthesea.org.