In a lot of popular media sources, “research” is used as a vague term to describe how we know certain things about the ocean and conservation. Because oceanographic research and measuring conservation efforts can be highly technical work, the complexities are sometimes lost in trying to make the message more accessible to the public. Highlighting some of the important work that a few of these larger research institutions do can help the public gain a wider understanding of just how important environmental research is.
Marine conservation organizations like Oceana and the Institute for Marine Research undertake projects to research and protect certain regions or wildlife. These organizations do a lot of their work supported by larger groups such as the European Union. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the major U.S. agency that works with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor ocean conditions.
Many universities with strong environmental and ocean science programs sponsor key research into marine conservation efforts. Right here in San Diego, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, is one of the largest and most important research institutions in the marine conservancy field.