1planet1ocean is a new nonprofit organization in formation, founded to explore, restore and sustain the oceans through strong international partnerships, offering solutions to the problems our oceans face.
The ocean once stood as a forbidding, impenetrable divide that held civilizations apart for centuries. With the advent of paddle, sail, then steam, the seas began to unite the world through exploration and trade.  Today, we understand that the ocean doesn’t divide us – it unites us. Ocean currents forge critical ecological linkages across vast ocean stretches. International collaboration is essential to protect the waters that we share. The 21st century has opened with an unprecedented opportunity to make this the century of the ocean. In the United States, two separate commissions – the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission – offer a dire look at the state of U.S. marine ecosystems, but also a blueprint for their restoration and sustainability, and a once in a generation opportunity to create new laws and practices to ensure enduring protection. The momentum generated by these commission reports offers new opportunities for conservation, both domestically and internationally. There is a need to better engage the public, decision-makers and research institutions in this effort.
The name 1planet1ocean signifies the fact that the oceans no longer divide us, but indeed unite us, and a united effort -- involving strong international collaboration -- is needed to develop solutions that restore and sustain the world's oceans. The name 1planet1ocean was inspired by the phrase "Un planeta, un oceano" [One planet, one ocean] written on the back of the official conference T-shirt of the 2003 MarCuba conference in Havana, Cuba.
Areas of Focus:
- Expeditionary research to identify and map important marine ecosystems, especially coral ecosystems, in order to inform strong conservation policies. Regions of interest include the Gulf of Mexico (with emphasis on Cuba's northwest coast) and the Bering Sea.
- Sustainable aquaculture and the promotion of next-generation land-based recirculating aquaculture systems in order to reduce pressure on wild fish stocks and provide a sustainable alternative that supports local communities.
- Connecting people to the oceans through outreach, education, videography, photography and leading-edge Web technologies.
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A young girl has her first experience sitting inside a submarine at "Dive into Ocean Careers 2006," a project of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Naples, Florida. DeepWorker mockup courtesy of 
