Building a Sustainable Ocean Economy 

The ocean is a life source. It adds $2.5 trillion each year to the global economy, feeds 3 billion people, holds more than half the world’s species and is our planet’s life support system.

Yet the health and economic vitality of the ocean are under threat. Activities such as overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution and rising temperatures are causing rapid biodiversity loss. Fishing and tourism, as well as the well-being of coastal communities, are in jeopardy.

WRI works to build a sustainable ocean economy by putting sustainability at the heart of ocean management. We aim to accelerate ocean action while raising the profile of the ocean on the international stage.

We convene the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) along with Friends of Ocean Action, working directly with heads of state and an international network of experts and partners in business, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and finance. We produce ground-breaking research exploring pressing challenges and solutions at the nexus of the ocean and the economy. And through the Ocean Watch open data platform we support the flow of science to policymakers working to develop sustainable ocean economies.