Josh, whose livelihood depends on Cook Inlet's pristine waters, advocates for their continued protection. He urges President Biden to honor his commitment against new drilling in the region.

Learn more about this vital conservation effort at Oceana.org/ProtectAlaska.

Interview by Rafael Delauz. Additional photos and video courtesy of Marissa Wilson, Pond5, and Shutterstock.

Join us for an #OceanStewardSpotlight with Risa Bell, founder of Paddle for Peace. This nonprofit brings inner-city and BIPOC communities to coastal spaces for recreation, surfing, and ocean conservation education. A biracial surfer from Guam, Risa aims to diversify the sport, sharing her passion for the ocean with more people of color.

Catch the spotlight on September 15th at 12pm PST/3pm EST. Support Paddle for Peace and its mission here: paddleforpeace.org.

A 2021 Oceana report revealed Amazon generated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020. This colossal plastic problem prompted our visit to their Seattle HQ.

There, we campaigned for Amazon shareholders to pass Item 8, a resolution designed to finally address the company's significant plastic waste issue.

Alfredo Giron-Nava, an André Hoffmann Fellow with the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and the World Economic Forum, is a co-founder of dataMares.

Drawing on his expertise in science, communication, and data visualization, Alfredo helps dataMares advance sustainable fisheries management and reduce illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) global catch.

Support this crucial work at dataMares.org.

Join us for a conversation with Patt Gunn, a Gullah Geechee historian, performer, and advocate from Underground TOURS of Savannah. She will discuss her work reconnecting her community with the water.

Support Patt's efforts by visiting her Facebook page: SLAVES IN THE CITY.

Alejandra Warren, a San Francisco-based sustainability consultant and intersectional environmentalist, co-founded Plastic Free Future in 2020. This non-profit organization is dedicated to reducing and eliminating plastic pollution.

Plastic Free Future achieves its mission by promoting reusable alternatives and focusing on education for systematically excluded communities. Support Alejandra's vital work at plastic-free-future.org.

Our oceans deserve a future free from plastic pollution. This #PlasticFreeJuly, let's unite to tackle this crisis by stopping plastic waste at its source.

It's time to turn the tide. Discover how you can get involved and make a difference for marine life today: oceana.org/PlasticFreeJuly.

In 2021, Oceana launched its first scientific expedition to the Bajos Del Norte and Alacranes Reefs off Yucatan.

This mission assessed the health of these vital marine areas, with data from Project Alacranes highlighting the urgent need for their protection.

Solemi Hernandez serves as the Southeast Regional Coordinator for Citizens' Climate Lobby. Growing up in a Venezuelan oil town, she witnessed firsthand the environmental and health hazards of the industry, which inspired her to become a social justice-minded environmentalist.

Now a community organizer in Florida, Solemi is dedicated to finding climate solutions through effective policy.

Offshore drilling and potential spills threaten to devastate coastal fishing, tourism, and recreation industries.

An Oceana analysis reveals that permanent protections for all unleased federal waters could prevent over 19 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and avoid more than $720 billion in damages to people, property, and the environment.

This World Oceans Day, join Oceana in our mission to save the oceans and feed the world.

With your help, we can rebuild marine biodiversity and abundance, providing a billion people with healthy seafood daily.

Join a conversation with Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown, a faculty member at Savannah State University. Dr. Hoskins-Brown is a marine scientist, professor, and community change-maker.

Support Dionne here: https://www.savannahstate.edu/contact-us.shtml

Major beverage brands have pledged to increase recycled content in single-use plastic bottles to 25-50% by 2025. However, a new study by consulting firm Eunomia, prepared for Oceana, indicates these commitments will not significantly reduce plastic pollution overwhelming our oceans.

Instead, the study highlights a simple, historically proven solution: refillable bottles. This concept, still widely utilized globally, offers a more effective approach to mitigating plastic waste than current industry targets.

Jarid Manos, an author, free diver, and ecological health practitioner, shares his experiences diving with sharks and promoting collective conservation behavior change.

Support Jarid's work here: https://gprc.org/

Join us for a chat with CUNY PhD candidate Eric Angel Ramos. Eric explores marine mammal acoustics and behavior throughout the Mesoamerican region.

Hear about his adventures with bottlenose dolphins and manatees, and learn about his work with FINS Central America.

Support Eric's efforts here: finsconservation.org

Join us for a conversation with FIU Doctoral Candidate and Marine Veteran David Riera.

He will discuss how his roles with the Hispanic Access Foundation and Society of Wetlands Sciences promote Ocean Stewardship in South Florida and globally.

Support David's work here: www.hispanicaccess.org

Join us for a chat with Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. Learn about her vital work protecting coastal communities and oceans in the Lowcountry and beyond.

Support Queen Quet's efforts by visiting her website: gullahgeecheenation.com.

Discover the impactful work of three Black female shark researchers who are transforming the field of shark science. They achieve this through their groundbreaking group, Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS).

Support their pioneering efforts and learn more about their mission by visiting their website: https://www.misselasmo.org/

Join us to hear from an inspiring youth activist who is shaping a just and healthy future on the Southern California coast.

Support Aisha's vital work here: youth4climate350.org/2-find-your-passion/

Join an inspiring talk with Hermina, founder and Executive Director of the Susie King Taylor Women's Institute and Ecology Center. She will discuss her work fostering coastal stewardship among Black women in Georgia.

Hermina also serves as Oceana’s Georgia Field Representative. Support her vital work at the Susie King Taylor Institute.