Since our founding in the late 1990s, The Ocean Project has supported and empowered our network of partner zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs) to become bolder leaders for conservation. Collectively, with their nearly 200 million visitors in the United States, alone, and with their very high level of trust, ZAMs can make a significant difference for conservation, by effectively engaging the public and influencing decision-makers.

To help our ZAM partners become more effective at communicating for conservation, in 1998 and 1999, we conducted comprehensive national public opinion research. In 1998 we also started to create campaigns for our ZAM partners to help them get more aware of and involved with national marine sanctuaries (US-focused), and supporting development of more marine protected areas (MPAs), both nationally and internationally as our network expanded, promoting science-based fisheries, as well as advocating for greater support and appropriations for NOAA and environmental education. Starting in early 2000, we also collaborated closely with the newly-launched the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, helping to proactively spread the word through our fast-growing network of ZAMs to get involved with this exciting opportunity.

Working closely with some key ZAM partners and with special thanks to IMPACTS Research, from 2008-2015, we expanded on our original research with unprecedented national and international market research that has helped not only ZAMs, but also others throughout the greater ocean conservation community to engage their target audiences for greater impact. This body of research and lessons learned over the many years from continually applying and iterating on that research, has served as a foundation in the continual evolution of ZAMs, their missions, and collaborative campaigns since that time. Link here for more on our collaborative research.) 

Over time, we continued to focus on effective visitor engagement campaigns and we were able to integrate more conservation policy-related issues and engagement into all our work, supporting ZAM involvement in a range of interconnected issues, including action on MPAs and science-based fisheries, climate change and ocean acidification, global plastic pollution, environmental justice, protection of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, deep sea mining, conservation of the High Seas, 30x30 and protection for the world's biodiversity. 

Some of our collaborative campaigns from more recent years include: 

• From 2008-2015, through funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Ocean Project created the Innovative Solutions Grants+ Program and awarded approximately $400,000 in grants of up to $30,000 each to AZA-accredited ZAMs. We provided not only the grants, but also pro bono strategic communications coaching and technical expertise and amplification to catalyze peer-to-peer sharing and learning; see examples here. 
• In 2016 we collaborated with all eight SEA LIFE Centers across the U.S. in both coastal and inland locations on a campaign focused on creation of marine protected areas (MPAs). This campaign was based on a successful pilot that demonstrated visitor interest in expanding the U.S. network of MPAs. 
• In 2017 we collaborated with UN Environment on a pilot campaign for World Oceans Day, to engage visitors at 12 ZAMs across the United States on plastic pollution. Plastic pollution prevent was also the Action Theme for World Ocean Day for several years through 2019.
• In 2019-2020 we were provided with an ocean messaging grant from Heartwired to Love the Ocean that allowed us to work with the Aquarium Conservation Partnership and field test messaging at four aquariums - Aquarium of the Pacific, New England Aquarium, New York Aquarium, and Shedd Aquarium – with an interest in advancing support for MPAs and a commitment to including and engaging diverse audiences. More on Heartwired-related work here.
• From 2019-2023, with thanks to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Ocean Project made 30x30 our organizational priority, helping ZAMs understand 30x30, effectively raise public awareness, document public opinion and inform policymakers about 30x30. (30x30 continues to be top priority, including serving as the Action Theme for World Ocean Day for several years.) During this time, we also supported our network of ZAMs to engage more on science-based fisheries conservation and management. More on fisheries here and more on 30x30 here.

Though these campaigns have focused largely on supporting U.S.-based ZAMs, many of the lessons learned have been applied globally and all resources and tools developed have been made widely available to our global partner network. Much has been incorporated into our global coordination of World Ocean Day, which we launched in 2002, and now includes a network of 2,000+ organizations in 180 countries. 

For more information, check out our blog posts.