Turkish world record-holder free-diver and divers of the Underwater Federation Sahika Encumen dives amid plastic waste in Ortakoy coastline to observe the life and pollution of Bosphorus in Istanbul,
Topic

Protect Marine Life

Overview

The global ocean teems with life, and it contributes to the vital cycles that keep people and our planet healthy. But the seas are vulnerable to overfishing, loss of habitat such as seagrasses and mangroves, ineffective fisheries management, plastic pollution, and declining biodiversity. These mounting losses affect the coastal communities that depend on the ocean for food and jobs.

Pew’s ocean work supports efforts to build collaborative governance systems to guide activities like fishing, pollution, and conservation, and to create protected areas that maintain and restore the health of marine ecosystems. These activities not only support nature, they also benefit the people who rely on marine resources for their livelihoods.

Featured

Fishing vessel on the ocean steering towards a mountainous shore, with birds flying in the sunset.
Fisheries Managers Can Help End Harmful Subsidies

Overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing not only strain fish populations around the world, but also threaten the food security and economic livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.

Three fishing vessels sail in gray, choppy waters in the Arctic Sea, surrounded by seabirds, mist and clouds, with snow-covered mountains in the distance.
Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management In Practice

Over decades of international negotiation, the nations of the world have committed to the sustainable management of fisheries and protection of marine ecosystems. Multiple treaties and conventions require fishery managers to account for the impact of fishing activity on the health of the entire ecosystem, not just targeted fish stocks.

Fisheries Subsidies Agreement: Why It Matters

On 15 September 2025, a World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement to help end harmful fisheries subsidies entered into force, giving governments around the world a significant new tool in the effort to stem overfishing and illegal fishing. The historic agreement, which the WTO adopted in June 2022, will tackle one of the key drivers of overfishing by curtailing harmful subsidies – payments made by nations to commercial fishing operators to keep those businesses profitable.

A sea star adhering to a metallic nodule.
Why Deep-Seabed Mining Needs a Moratorium

The ocean is crucial for keeping the planet healthy, yet it’s under strain from damaging activities and climate change.

How to Heat-Proof Coral Reefs

The ocean’s coral reefs support an estimated 25% of all known marine life yet are threatened by rising ocean temperatures and bleaching. In this “After the Fact” episode from our recurring “From Lab to Life” series, we look at ways scientists are pioneering efforts to save corals.

Fact of the Matter

~9%
OF ALL PLASTIC
has ever been recycled.
50 YEARS
SEABED MINING BAN
New Caledonia enacted a 50-year moratorium across 500,000 sq mi of ocean to safeguard biodiversity.
20+%
OF ALL FISH CAUGHT
in the ocean is a product of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
1%
OF THE HIGH SEAS
(international waters) is protected.

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Turkish world record-holder free-diver and divers of the Underwater Federation Sahika Encumen dives amid plastic waste in Ortakoy coastline to observe the life and pollution of Bosphorus in Istanbul,

The global ocean teems with life, and it contributes to the vital cycles that keep people and our planet healthy. But the seas are vulnerable to overfishing, loss of habitat such as seagrasses and mangroves, ineffective fisheries management, plastic pollution, and declining biodiversity. These mounting losses affect the coastal communities that depend on the ocean for food and jobs.

The House Chamber at the Kentucky State Capitol is shown as the legislature tries to wrap up its session

States and cities are the “laboratories of democracy” in America—the places where lawmakers and governors look for new ways to help their communities succeed. Whether in Pew’s hometown of Philadelphia or any of the 50 state capitals, we help elected leaders respond to the needs of their citizens, use public dollars wisely, fix outdated policies, and build a better future for all.

A view of steep cliff, grand canyon and Colorado river from Toroweap overlook.

Conserving natural spaces conveys benefits far beyond the gains to wildlife and their habitats. As scores of studies show, protecting and restoring lands and waters, particularly when done in close partnership with local communities, also improves people’s lives—and local economies—by increasing tourism and outdoor recreation.