Oceans produce half of the oxygen we breathe and remove almost a third of all carbon emissions from our atmosphere. They provide food security for almost half the planet’s population, enable global trade worth more than £400 billion, and provide employment for millions of people.
Yet marine life is becoming endangered at an accelerating rate due to pollution, habitat loss, ocean acidification and industrial overfishing. Without significant change, UNESCO predicts more than 50% of the world’s marine species may face extinction by 2100
Our Mission
Big Blue Foundation is dedicated to reversing biodiversity loss in our ocean. Placing coastal communities at the forefront of our work we empower future conservation leaders to drive positive change and create healthier oceans for all.
Our Approach
Collaboration
Big Blue Foundation oversees research and conservation initiatives that prioritise the needs of coastal communities, both in the UK and overseas. We partner with academic institutions, NGOs and Governments at local and national levels to deliver impactful projects with measurable outcomes. We have found that respectful interaction with host communities can produce the most effective and sustainable conservation outcomes.
Capacity Building
Our ‘Big Blue Rising Stars’ programme provides a fantastic opportunity for young adults to employ innovative technologies to find solutions to some of the biggest environmental issues impacting our oceans. Candidates gain invaluable experience that can help them to become future leaders in environmental conservation. We are committed to recruiting ‘Rising Stars’ at each of our project locations. In some cases, individuals may not otherwise have equal access to the field of marine education and our funding provides them with a unique opportunity to develop their careers.
Long-Term Impact
We liaise with our project partners to prioritise their needs and to gain support for the implementation of new conservation initiatives. The more educators there are to positively influence people of all ages about marine ecosystems, the better equipped communities are to make informed choices to sustainably manage their natural resources. In successful cases this leads to an increase in food security, reversal of biodiversity loss and cost effective solutions to climate change. With the guidance of our NGO partners and our Scientific Advisors, we develop reliable methods to measure the impact of our work over the long-term.
