Thank you for your involvement in ocean and aquatic conservation and for being a part of our growing network of Partners around the world. Everything we do is for our Partners so please read on and make sure you are taking full advantage of your participation in this global network!The past year we have invested heavily in a number of initiatives that we feel will significantly help our Partners to advance conservation:

• Provided Partners with cutting edge market research – the results from the single largest, most comprehensive public opinion research project ever undertaken on behalf of any environmental concern and the implications of this research are providing valuable insights for you as Partners to help you better understand your audience and develop meaningful and actionable messages related to climate change, the ocean, and related environmental issues. In 2010 we will continue our semi-annual tracking surveys, testing messages and measuring successes so make sure to visit the website to get the latest.

• Expanded World Oceans Day to a new level — after six years of The Ocean Project working with the World Ocean Network to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day, and to petition the United Nations to recognize this annual event, the UN officially designated World Oceans Day as June 8 of each year. WOD 2010 is already shaping up to the biggest and best yet!

• Improved the Seas the Day personal action initiative — as with all our work this personal action initiative is for you and our other Partners to use, customize, and provide tangible ways for your visitors and the public to help. The site provides you with fresh content each month focusing on a different conservation theme, a conservation action tip of the day, ocean picture of the day, and much more that can all be easily tailored for your institution’s needs.

• Developed tool for a watershed visualization and community involvement — this exciting new conservation education and action tool will be available online soon (preview here) for all our Partners to customize. It is being produced to help your visitors (onsite or online) better understand their connections to their watershed and path to the sea, and help them take conservation action in their communities and regionally.

• Grew our global Partner network — you are part of the largest such effort for ocean conservation ever developed, with almost 1,000 Partners: aquariums, zoos, museums, and other conservation education centers, organizations, and agencies, in 49 US States and 85 other countries. Check them out and connect with them on the interactive international map.

• Significantly enhanced dynamic website for Partners — we are constantly updating our interactive site for you, with lots of valuable info, resources, tools, and inspiration — again, it’s for you to use and customize.

Looking ahead, we have many initiatives and activities planned in 2010 and beyond to leverage our research results and other activities, both in the U.S. and, increasingly, internationally.

To help us help you and our other Partners, we would greatly appreciate a year-end, or year-starting, contribution. The Ocean Project receives voluntary contributions from time to time from our Partners, and we thank you very much — with extremely low overhead (small rented space in an old church, with our team of 1.5 paid staff and two interns) your contribution goes far.

Any amount, from $5 to $5,000 is most welcome! You can securely donate online or we can provide an invoice. For a contribution of $500 or more to The Ocean Project your institution or organization becomes a Supporting Partner; for a contribution of $5,000 or more you can become a Sustaining Partner — both types of contributors receive many benefits based on their level of giving, which you can learn about through the website links just highlighted.

Thank you for your involvement in this growing network and for making a donation now or budgeting for a contribution in the future! We look forward to working with you to achieve great outcomes in 2010, and beyond!